If you are holidaying in Brittany this summer you may be lucky enough to coincide with a pardon or fest noz. For hundreds of years, the people of Brittany have expressed their religious faith by building beautiful churches and creating exquisitely sculpted calvaries and crosses, and this religious belief which provides the backdrop to the tradition of pardons.

Pardons are annual festivals, normally commencing with a Mass (often starting as early as 4am) followed by a procession, to pay homage to the local saint who will invariably have one or more shrines in little chapels throughout the parish. The procession progresses around these shrines with the participants carrying colourfully embroidered banners and flags along with statues and relics of the saint. 

Traditional Breton costume is often worn: broad-brimmed hats, embroidered waistcoats and short jackets for the men and dresses and beautifully decorated aprons for the women plus the highly distinctive lace headdresses known as the coiffe. All pardons take place between Easter and the end of October but most fall in the summer months. The most famous pardons are held at:

• Sainte-Anne d'Auray/Santez-Anna-Wened, where a humble farmer in the 17th century was ordered by the saint to build a chapel in her honour
• Tréguier/Landreger, where St Yves, the patron saint of judges, advocates, and other judicial professions is honoured
  
• Locronan/Lokorn, held in honour of St Ronan    

Fest noz (festivals of the night) are often associated with pardons but can be held as an entirely separate celebration. Food and drink play a major part in a fest noz, as do dancing and music. This encompasses everything from traditional Breton instrumental pieces to young bands playing jazz and rock and, of course, the famous Breton circular dances which are said to send the participants into a trance-like state after dancing for hours on end.

Visit French Entrée for details of the dates of particular pardons and information on finding a fest noz where you are holidaying.