Confectioners' Truce : The truce of confectioners is, in France, a pleasant appellation of the period between Holidays and new Year's Day, period generally spent at rest.
The expression appeared in France around 1875, during heated debates in the Chamber between monarchists, Bonapartists and Republicans, on the future constitution of the Third Republic. In December 1874, “all groups in the House agreed that the time of the renewal of the year was not conducive to heated debate. On this occasion the satirical press imagines the word “truce for confectioners” (Jules Lermina, Foundation of the French Republic, 1882).
"At the approaches to Holidays, by a sort of agreement between the parliamentarians, irritating questions are not raised, which, disturbing the public mind, would harm business. And even, in order to better live in peace, we separate, we give each other vacations. So, no sour talk and during this lull, the merchants of sweet things, cakes, treats, are slowly doing their little business. The confectioners are jubilant, taking advantage of the suspension of hostilities in the House, and this tranquility they enjoy has been called the truce of the confectioners ”.
The expression is used to describe the winter truce, in politics, traditionally followed in France, since 1875, by the National Assembly and the Senate. The expression “confectioner's truce” is also used to refer to the traditional end-of-year lull in the stock markets, as well as the break on the football fields. The expression is also commonly used in hospital settings, it generally designates the period during which medical students devote themselves solely to the care of the sick and are exempt from academic activities.