Dissectologist: What If It Were You?

You probably know a dissectologist. Maybe it's even you, without realizing it... Their passion? Sorting, searching, assembling, solving. For these true enthusiasts, every piece matters, every edge is a promise, every corner a victory. Are they jigsaw puzzle experts? Not necessarily. They're simply puzzlers who love putting the pieces together, dreaming a little, and savoring the passing of time.

💡Dissectologist Definition

But where does this unusual word come from? Let's go back to where it all began: the word "dissectologist" comes from the term "dissected maps", the name given to the first wooden jigsaw puzzles in the 18th century, by cutting maps into interlocking pieces. Simply put, a dissectologist is someone who loves jigsaw puzzles.

There are countless dissectologists out there, puzzling with family or on their own, their eyes fixed on a 500-piece or even a 10,000-piece puzzle... A close-knit but discreet community, more interested in the joy of puzzling than in winning the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship.

🛋 Where Are All These Puzzle Fans Hiding?

Dissectologists are everywhere! You'll find them gathered around a coffee table, cross-legged on a rug, or sprawled out on the floor. Some are easy to spot, even framing their completed  puzzle. Others remain more discreet… After all, jigsaw puzzles still struggle to shake off their old-fashioned reputation.

Are jigsaw puzzles old-fashioned? Old-fashioned, did you say? That’s only because you haven’t discovered the Jour Férié collection yet! It’s time to put the pieces back where they belong!

Once synonymous with kitschy images (think kittens in wicker baskets surrounded by flowers), this pastime was confined to rainy Sundays and life in retirement homes. But today, jigsaw puzzles have had a makeover, and if you were to peek through the keyhole into your neighbours' homes, you might just be surprised.

🧩 Why Do We Become Dissectologists?

There's no such thing as a typical dissectologist! Anyone can catch the puzzle bug. Some have loved jigsaw puzzles since childhood, while others discovered them later in life. Many fell in love with them during the 2020 pandemic, when jigsaw puzzles made a remarkable comeback.

Sure enough, after binge-watching the entirety of Netflix, flipping through 3,000 gratin recipes 17 times, trying to learn Chinese in 22 days and watching tutorials on how to play the pan flute, what was left? Spring cleaning had been done, redone... and anticipated for the next three years...

There was only one thing left to do: slow down. Take your time, reconnect with yourself, with others, with shapes and colors. And that's how we rediscovered the benefits of jigsaw puzzles… and got completely hooked.

👉 Related Reading: World Records in Jigsaw Puzzles

🔍 Signs You Belong to the Club

Here are a few telltale signs that you belong to the highly secretive club of dissectologists:

• You can spend two hours looking for one piece among 300 others.
  
  
• You always sort the edge pieces first. ALWAYS.
  
  
• You feel an unreasonable amount of joy when a piece clicks into place.
  
  
• You love the little click the pieces make when they snap into place (pure homemade ASMR)
  
  
• You keep telling yourself, "Just one more piece"... at least ten times.
  
  
• You own a puzzle mat (you're definitely one of us), or you're seriously considering buying one (you're almost there).

And of course, January 29 is your favorite day of the year. That's International Puzzle Day, after all!

       

🌍 Puzzles Made with Your Values in Mind

At Jour Férié, we meet quite a few dissectologists. You can spot them because they’re definitely not minimalists when it comes to puzzles: their collection just keeps growing. That's why our jigsaw puzzles are thoughtfully designed to last, so you can enjoy countless moments of calm while helping us care for our beloved planet:

• 🖼️ Original, poetic illustrations by Céline or Yann, our in-house artists;
  
  
• 🇫🇷 100% Made in France;
  
  
• 🌱 Sustainably sourced materials: recycled and recyclable and plastic-free;
  
  
• ♻️ No unnecessary packaging, sized to fit the number of pieces;
  
  
• 🧩 High-quality pieces made to be assembled, taken apart, and enjoyed again and again...
  

So, are you a dissectologist too? Not yet? What if, deep down, all you really need is to slow down a little, take a breath, observe, dream... Because that's the magic of jigsaw puzzles: a mindful activity, a moment suspended in time, a little bubble of slow living  where calm is built piece by piece. If you don't know where to start, our 500-piece puzzles are the perfect place to begin.

👉 Related Reading: Collaborative Jigsaw Puzzles