Here comes the Holiday Season again! We’re all eager about our yearly traditions, getting ready and preparing for a fun and exciting Christmas. But what about other countries? What are their traditions for Christmas? How do they celebrate Christmas? In our Fox Rent A Car Christmas Around the World blog post series, we are now presenting France and its Christmas traditions. Remember to check back regularly for other countries all through December!
Christmas in France: Traditions
Before Christmas day comes, one of the Christmas traditions in France is of course to send Christmas cards to family and friends with your wishes for the holidays. It use to be the Christmas card first, and then a second one a week later sending your warm wishes for the New Year. However, today more and more people just send one card for both occasions, if they do send cards at all. On Christmas Eve, if you have a religious background (most people in France are Catholics) you can attend the Midnight Mass. It is a beautiful mass with a lot of singing and lid up Christmas trees and lots of candles make this mass a little different and special.
Christmas in France: Decorations
In most houses in France, just like in the US, you will find the Christmas tree. There is really no exact date to when it is put up and decorated. It depends now on the time families have. The Christmas tree is usually decorated with Christmas ornaments, lights and candles (though for safety reasons people don’t really use real candles any more). You can also find colorful garlands and a large star or an angel on top. Then, underneath the tree is built the “crèche”. It’s the nativity scene, where the center is baby Jesus with Marie and Joseph and then people add other little figurines. Those figurines are called Santons, they are hand made little saints. It is a tradition to buy them for Christmas to put them under the tree to complete the scene. They are made out of clay in the South of France. Another tradition most people do to decorate, is the red candles on the windows, that you light up at night. And of course, you find the typical red bows and green pine branches here and there, as well as the socks hanging by the fireplace, or on the wall. You can find a few Santa Clauses climbing a wall a balcony, and some decorated Christmas trees in the front yards. But you won’t find the big air filled decoration like you find in the US. Also French decorate their streets and houses, but not their cars!
Christmas in France: Food
As you would expect, being in the famous culinary country, food is important and abundant for Christmas in France. First French families like to toast for the festivities around appetizers and a glass of Champagne. After that, for dinner, there usually is a 3 courses meal. They start with Fois gras toasts, or salmon toasts, and for those who like it, oysters. Then the traditional turkey stuffed with chestnuts. Cheese follows, if you’re still hungry. And finally the desert: la buche de Noel. La buche is a desert shaped like a wood log , and decorate as if it were a log from your fireplace. You can find various flavors, but the real traditional Buche de Noel is made of a chestnut and chocolte paste inside and then covered with a thick layer of chocolate. If you want to try it, here is the recipe for Buche de Noel. It is served cold and you serve slices looking like a slice of log. Of course, each course is accompanied with the right wine! Only the south part of France, called Provence, has the 13 desserts tradition, representing the 12 apostle and Jesus. Every family that practices this tradition has a different set of 13 desserts, but always 13. The 13 desserts can include nuts, dried and fresh fruit, cakes, biscuits, nougat, and other delicacies. Aside from the typical dinner, you can also find a few sugary snacks, such as walnuts, dates, dry prunes and apricots filled with almond paste.
To be able to celebrate with both sides of the families most family have a Christmas eve dinner with one side, and Christmas day lunch with the other.
Christmas in France: Songs and Stories
Adults read to kids various Christmas stories and tales, and no they don’t know the Grinch! Popular stories are the Little girl with the matches, the Grimm’s Tales, Andersen’s Tales, etc…
Some families also like to share songs, or play the traditional Christams Songs such as Petit Papa Noel, Vive le Vent and Douce Nuit.
Christmas in France: Presents
Some families exchange gifts on the 24th, for others, Santa Claus called Pere Noel comes during the night and the children get their presents on the 25th in the morning.
Christmas Markets are a great way to find small presents. They usually offer fun choices of crafts and arts, jewelry all hand made. Just like in the US, presents can be clothe, toys, money… If the families have various dinner/ lunch plans during the holidays, kids often get to find presents under more than one tree!
So this is how French families celebrate Christmas. Of course, traditions vary from one family to the other, and religion can affect the Christmas traditions in every home. But for the most part, this is how a French Christmas take place!
