Guinguette

A Guinguette is a popular drinking establishments in the suburbs of Paris and other cities in France. Ginguettes might also serve as restaurants and, often, as dance venues. The origin of the term comes from "guinguet", indicating a sour white light local wine. [The 1750 "Dictionnaire de la langue français", defined Guinguette as a "Small cabaret in the suburbs and the surrounds of Paris, where craftsmen drink in the summer and on Sundays and on Festival days. This term is new. It comes apparently from what are sold in these cabarets: a malicious light local green wine , that is called "ginguet", such as found around Paris." The 1930 "Le Larousse du XXe siècle" defines it as "(unknown origin). Cabaret of the suburbs, where people drink, eat and dance on feast days." ( [http://www.guinguette.org/ Histoire et patrimoine des guinguettes et des bords de Marne] )Dead link|date=May 2008] As similar kind of establishments is a "Goguette".

History

During the 18th century, a consumer revolution led to once isolated villages and hamlets outside Paris being swept up in a booming material culuture. Commodities, and particularly alcohol, comsumed outside the customs barrier of the city were considerably cheaper, being exempt from state taxes. This encouraged the growth of an entertainment industry just beyond the taxman's reach and a network of drinking establishments was established. They were especially popular on Sundays and holidays, when Parisians would visit to enjoy themselves and to get drunk cheaply [Colin Jones "Paris - Biography of a City", p226, Allen Lane 2004, ISBN0-713-99321-9] . Today, the term 'guingette' is still used for a waterside refreshment place, particularly open-air, all over France.

The development of railways in the 1880s and the establishment of the station of "la Bastille" with many trains to the east suburbs of Paris is very much in the success of guinguettes.

Geography

The majority are on the edges of the Seine and the Marne, and some are in a district that stretches to the outskirts of Rouen. Some guinguettes were however far from the rivers, as the picturesque guinguettes of le Plessis-Robinson built among the chestnut trees. There were hundreds of guinguettes as far as Nogent-sur-Seine, where the nature of the Seine valley changes most.

Tradition decline

Today guinguettes are an object of nostalgia for those who lived in the period. The guinguettes were marvellous places to return to lighter times during the mad years of the 1920s. They were obviously an eminent subject for painting during the first half of the 20th century.

But television and the ban on bathing in the rivers in the 1960s caused the decline of guinguettes. This ban was justified for reasons of hygiene (water quality deteriorated in the years 60-70) and security (risk due to barge traffic and drowning). In the 1960s, guinguettes spend in the field of nostalgia.Many people forgot guinguettes, as the French scriptwriter "Michel Audiard" had one of his characters point out.Since the 1980s, there is a certain revival, particularly in the loops of the Marne river.Even now in 2008, some guinguettes remain opened every week-end.

Note

See also

*Bal-musette

Movies with guinguettes

* "Nogent, Eldorado du dimanche" (="Nogent, sunday eldorado") - Marcel Carné, 1929
* "La Belle Équipe" (="the fine crew") - Julien Duvivier, 1936 with Jean Gabin singing the well-known waltz "Quand on s’promène au bord de l’eau" (="walking on the river bank")
* "Casque d'or" (="golden helmet") - Jacques Becker, 1952

Bibliography

* Henri Joannis Deberne, "Danser en société", Christine Bonneton editor, 3/1999, Paris ISBN 2-86253-229-0

External links

* [http://www.guinguette.fr web site of a guinguette on Marne river]
* [http://www.culture-guinguette.com/ website of the association "culture guinguette"]