Saint Barbara's Day

Saint Barbara has been, for more than 100 years, a major event for all people engaged in fire professions, explosives and mining.

Summary:

Who is Saint Barbara?

According to legend, her father, Dioscorus decided to force her to marry. Following her refusal and her decision to dedicate herself to Christ, her father locked her in a tower with two windows. She had a third one pierced, in order to honor the symbol of the Holy Trinity. Upon his return, her father set fire to the tower and she took advantage of this to escape and take refuge in a neighboring farm. She was denounced by a shepherd then captured by her father.

Barbara refused to renounce her faith and was condemned to the worst tortures. After refusing once again to renounce her faith, she was beheaded by her father. The latter was instantly punished by Heaven, struck by lightning and reduced to dust.

This is why she was nicknamed the Saint of fire.

A corporatist tradition

Saint Barbara's Day has been for nearly a century a moment of sharing, often celebrated with a parade, a meal, a speech or a ball. It's an opportunity to gather around gargantuan menus at the initiative of firefighters or the municipality. Today, they don't all celebrate Saint Barbara's Day, but keep the convivial aspect by organizing a meal mainly financed by the sale of calendars. Saint Barbara's Day is a privileged moment to reaffirm group cohesion and pay tribute to the deceased.

This year, Saint Barbara's Day will be different because of the health situation. It will mostly not be celebrated and the calendars will, for some be sold by mail and, for others, sent by letters or postponed when the situation allows. The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, posted a message on social media to pay tribute to male and female firefighters and to all civil security personnel to express his "recognition" and his "respect".