Definition: Saint Étienne

In the 14th century, near Colmar, in the village of Ammerschwihr, local dignitaries responsible for monitoring wine quality used to gather every 26 December for their annual feast. Given the growing importance of this event, the guests at the annual banquet took the name of the Confrérie Saint-Étienne (Brotherhood of Saint Stephen) in reference to the feast day of the saint, the first Christian martyr to be stoned to death. Étienne is Greek for "Stephan", meaning crown. Considered one of the oldest brotherhoods (its internal regulations date back to 1561), it reached its peak after the Second World War, having gone through a difficult period during the troubled times of Franco-German conflicts (four in total). The headquarters of the brotherhood is located in Kientzheim (Haut-Rhin), a charming village near Kaysersberg. The five annual chapters are held in the former residence of Baron Lazare de Schwendi. It should be noted that "no one can be a member of the Brotherhood of Saint Stephen unless they love joy, good food and Alsace wines. (Art. 1 of the internal regulations)!