The pictures of my amateur website:
"livres-legion-etrangere"
are pulled out of my books and
of "Kepis Blanc"
( Formal monthly magazine
of the French Foreign Legion)

The soldier salute must express discipline and spontaneous respect towards
the Head. In return, the chef has to prove he deserves it by the quality of
its answer.

The Caïd salute :

Every morning, the bugler plays the Caïd when the Head comes to check the
guards who introduce themselve . At this moment, everyone have to look
towards the entry of the enclosure until the caïd and the Boudin's chorus is
ended.

The other circonstances when the Caïd is played are when an important person
for the Legion or a former leader of the legion visits the campus.
The General governor of the French Foreign Legion is welcomed by the same
play plus the 16 first mesure of the Boudin.

The Boudin is the official march of the French Foreign Legion.
The title is reminiscent of the white kepis' marvellous history. Here is the
story of this march which we all call the Legionaire's Marseillaise.

The origins of the title, as well as the origins of this famous chorus, are
not very well known. Some think about the cloth roll which was carried on
the bagpack that legionnaires would willingly call "boudin", others think
about gastronomic origins !
It is hard to find an exact origin for this song. It could be inspired by a
Rameau's writing, a remake of the 67th R.I's chorus in 1862 or a royal
decision.

But little time before the departure of the R.E for Mexico in January 1863 ,
Mr Wilhelm, which directed the brass band of the 2nd R.E, composed (starting
from the 16 measurements which had been imposed since 1840) a march which
became the musical symbol of the French Forign Legion : "Boudin".
An other origin of this march goes back to 1860, when, the King of the
Belgium sent men to France so that they were built-in in the French Foreign
Legion. They were then treated as "Gunners with the ass" by the Germans who
were at this time reprenting the major strength of the French Foreign
Legion. It seems that a lot of alternative lyrics have been sung due to the
fertile imagination of the legionnaires. The current lyrics were probably
adopted about 1870, whereas the king of Belgium had asked that its subjects
not to fight for France and while many Alsatian-Lorraine ones were joining
the French Foreign Legion.
In fact, we will undoubtedly never know if the lyrics are due to the
shoulders of the légionaries or their stomachs, but it is undeniable that
" Boudin" is a piece which exalte major love of the legionnaire for his flag
and its fatherland of adoption.If one does not salute during the execution
of Boudin, one carries out it and one sings it when standing to attention.

Army corps generally walk 120 steps in a minute contrary to the legion corps
who still walk at 88 steps in a minute as did the original corps of Hohenlohe.
This is the reason why the French Foreign Legion never walk close to the
other army corps in the parad.

The dust :

The dust is a traditional ceremony which seems to take its origins in
Africa. Water was often more precious than wine. Before the meal, everybody
used to rince its glass with a drop wine (which was not thrown away, of course!)

The master of the ceremony says :
- Attention, for the dust!

everybody standing with attention, hold its glass at his chin.
-Go !

Then the master of ceremony starts singing the boudin eventually by the unit chorus.

Officers' popote as well as lieutenants' popote is a place where some
unformal but not less important traditions take place. Those meetings aim to
enhance friendship between legionnaires and must take place in a joyful and
respectful atmosphere as they unfold in a military enclosure.

The popote man reads the traditionan menu as in all the French army popotes,
then he invokes the patron saint of the French Foreign Legion. It is also
used to invoke the patron saint of the honor guests.

Cameron's battle is celebrate every year on the 30th of April. At this date
starts the legion's new year. This is the most important celebration of the
French foreign Legion all over the world. It starts on the 29th of April
with a Sound and Light show. On the 30th of April, an officer gives an
account of the cameron battle and in the afternoon, games and entertainement
are organize to get together the Legion's Family.
It is the occasion to express freindship and the warm relationships
caracteristic of the legion.

For the legion, Christmas celebration is as important as the celebration of
the cameron battle. It's again the occasion to get together the Legion
Family. Nobody can miss this celebration. Everybody have to participate to
the manifestations that occur this day: the mass, the gifts, the crib and
the meal. During the night, the company Head distribute the gifts.
No permission are given on the 24th of December

The New Year :

Twelfth night :

Officers recieve the sub-officers to celebrate the twelfth night.
Traditonally, a sub-officer become the king, he designs his subjects and
give them double wine and freedom in the kitchen ( after he has pronounced
his speech). The corp's Head is used to be the second in the kingdom to
advice him. The queen is generally the youngest lieuteunant.

Moreover, some celebrations are specific to the regiment along its history
and its Patron Saint.

- 1st R.E.C.
- 2nd R.E.I.
- 3th R.E.I.
- M.P.L.E.
- 2th R.E.P.
- 6th R.E.G.
- 4th R.E.
- 5th R.E.