If you’re a Haitian mom in our beloved Haiti or in the Diaspora, this is your day to celebrate. Again. Enjoy it. If you’re a dad playing Mom and uncle and grandma and sister and cousin, etc., this is your day, too. Enjoy it. Happy “I got your back!” day. Happy “Bon Jan Fanmi” Day. That’s what you do. That’s what we do. Protect our children. 9 months to forever, yes? Tout Paran’m yo, kenbe toujou.
Good morning Haitian People! Good morning all friends of Haiti! Rise and glow. It’s an exciting day to be alive, of course it is.
Let’s celebrate our beloved patrie together today. This is May 18: Flag Day. No Flag Day would be complete without our National Anthem:
La Dessalinienne.
Get up. Yes, you! I want you to get off that couch/bed/hammock/tree trunk, and sing our National Anthem with me. Come on, don’t make me come get you.
Stand on your feet, if you can. Place your right hand over your heart. Belt it out: Three, Two, One. Go!
Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres,
Marchons unis, Marchons unis.
Dans nos rangs point de traîtres!
Du sol soyons seuls maîtres.
Marchons unis, Marchons unis
Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres,
Marchons, marchons, marchons unis,
Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres.
Pour les Aïeux, pour la Patrie
Bêchons joyeux, bêchons joyeux
Quand le champ fructifie
L’âme se fortifie
Bêchons joyeux, bêchons joyeux
Pour les Aïeux, pour la Patrie
Bêchons, bêchons, bêchons joyeux
Pour les Aïeux, pour la Patrie.
Pour le Pays et pour nos Pères
Formons des Fils, formons des Fils
Libres, forts et prospères
Toujours nous serons frères
Formons des Fils, formons des Fils
Pour le Pays et pour nos Pères
Formons, formons, formons des Fils
Pour le Pays et pour nos Pères.
Pour les Aïeux, pour la Patrie
O Dieu des Preux, O Dieu des Preux!
Sous ta garde infinie
Prends nos droits, notre vie
O Dieu des Preux, O Dieu des Preux!
Pour les Aïeux, pour la Patrie
O Dieu, O Dieu, O Dieu des Preux
Pour les Aïeux, pour la Patrie.
Pour le Drapeau, pour la Patrie
Mourir est beau, mourir est beau!
Notre passé nous crie:
Ayez l’âme aguerrie!
Mourir est beau, mourir est beau
Pour le Drapeau, pour la Patrie
Mourir, mourir, mourir est beau
Pour le Drapeau, pour la Patrie.
Ask most people what they do with the lemons life gives them. By now the entire world has learned how to make lemonade. I’ve got a few pitchers ready to go. How about you? Before you ask Elle Philippe that same question, find a comfortable chair. Get a good pen and a large notepad. Her response will not be brief.
When you’re in the food business–or any business, your goal is to make customers happy. For this reason, Elle would make a pitcher of lemonade just for you; of course, she would. She would even raise her glass and propose a toast to all the lemon growers of the world. Then, her creative side would take over. In no time at all, a procession of delicacies would appear: lemon tassies, lemon terrine, lemon soufflé, lemon bars, lemon tea, lemon martini, candied lemon peels. Gee, that’s just super, Elle! But what about the seeds? What can you do with the seeds?
“Stay tuned,” Elle would tell you in a voice accented by years of venturing into all corners of the world. In a few seconds, she would have thought of a hundred ways to turn the seeds into something irresistible. What else do you do when your first name is a personal pronoun that stands for unapologetically feminine?
Meet Elle Philippe, if you haven’t already. She’s a compatriot. A daughter. A sister. A mom. A creator of dreams at: Chez Elle. Read her VoicesfromHaiti INNERview here. Bon Appetit!