Sunday, April 6th is Laundresses' Day

It is fitting that on Sunday, April 6, the Fête des Blanchisseuses (Laundrywomen's Festival) will be held in the Marais district, since this carnival was born in the heart of Paris in the 2000th century. Relaunched in the 1930s after disappearing in the 15s, this "women's carnival," which celebrates intergenerational sisterhood, consists of a festive, colorful, and free parade that leaves Les Halles at 3 p.m., winds its way through the 4rd and XNUMXth arrondissements, and returns to its starting point.

The Fête des Blanchisseuses, which attracts Parisians and tourists alike, has its origins in the festive traditions of Parisian laundresses, linked to Mid-Lent. This celebration was a moment of respite, freedom, and joy for these workers, often subjected to difficult working conditions in the washhouses and wash-houses of Paris.

Central figures in Parisian life, the laundresses elected a queen and her equerry. The queen, a symbol of this close-knit community, opened the ball before parading through the streets, followed by her fellow sisters in costume. It was also one of the rare occasions when they could vote—the right to vote was only granted to French women as late as 1945.

While women are invited to dress up in their finest queenly attire on Sunday, April 6th (anyone is welcome to participate), men are also welcome. The only condition: dress up as women. A joyful mix of genres to celebrate together the history and good humor of the streets of Paris.

The route:
Rendez-vous from 13 p.m. on the central reservation of Place du Châtelet. Departure at 15 p.m. The route is as follows:

· Departure at 15 p.m. from Place du Châtelet
· Sebastopol Boulevard
· Pernelle Street
· Saint-Martin Street
· Saint-Merri Street
· Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie Street
· Archives Street
· Francs-Bourgeois Street
· Old Temple Street
· Rosiers Street
· Cobbled Street
· Rivoli Street
· Cutlery Street
· Victoria Avenue
· Place du Châtelet

Dispersal at 18 p.m.