The treasures of St. Jean-du-Doigt
are unusually rich and beautiful.
The chief village fete of the year, that in Holland and Belgium would be
called Kermesse, in some parts of France Ducasse, is in Brittany called
_Pardon_. These are the occasions when the little country is seen at its
best, and when all the costume that has come down to the present day
exhibits itself. The Bretons take their pleasures somewhat sadly it is
true, but even owls sometimes become excited and frivolous, and the
Breton, if ever gay and lively, is so at his Pardon.
The Pardon of St. Jean-du-Doigt is, however, not all merriment. It is in
some ways one of their saddest days, and it is certainly not all
picturesqueness.
On the 23rd June, the day of the Pardon, many of the beggars of
Brittany, the extreme poor afflicted with lameness and all sorts of
unsightly diseases, make a pilgrimage to the church. A religious service
is held, during which they press forward and crowd upon each other that
the priest may touch their eyes with the finger of St. John, which is
supposed to possess miraculous powers of healing.
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