Kissing the Sun: the Art of Enjoying It as Soon as It Shines
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In Occitanie, “faire la bise au soleil” simply means enjoying the good weather: going out, settling down outdoors and savouring a bright day. In other words, it refers to someone who does not let a single ray of sunshine slip by: they make the most of it, often with the idea of getting some fresh air, strolling around or living outdoors when the weather finally cooperates. In everyday French, it can be rendered as “enjoying the sun”, “savouring the fine weather” or “being outside whenever the weather is nice”. The image is amusing and very evocative: of course, no one is actually kissing the sun; it simply means celebrating its presence in one’s own way. It is an everyday regional expression, used mainly in speech, with that little local flavour people appreciate. You might hear it in sentences such as: “Today, we’re kissing the sun—we’re eating on the terrace!” or “As soon as there’s a ray of sunshine, they go out to kiss the sun.” In short, it is a sunny way of saying that you are not going to stay indoors when the sky decides to be kind. Common usage (informal): it is mainly used in spoken conversation, among people close to one another, in natural exchanges. Example 1: “Here, when we say ‘Faire la bise au soleil’, everyone understands straight away.” Example 2: “You can simply drop it into a sentence: ‘Faire la bise au soleil’, and the message comes across without any fuss.” Origin / context: this expression has become established through everyday usage in Occitanie, shaped by local habits, oral transmission and small regional nuances. Selected type: Funny expressions. Living usage: “Faire la bise au soleil” is often used to raise a smile, lighten the exchange or underline a reaction with a small local touch.
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Where: Occitanie