Which means time to travel to your family, time to cook, time to… take your time to enjoy your meal without having to watch the time so you don’t miss mass etc… First, the kids open their gifts, and then, you are just all happy and ready for a good meal. Learn how your comment data is processed. Many people spend the day quietly with family members or close friends. Privacy & Terms. Jocelyn gives us her good restaurants, recipes, street food addresses she finds along the way! She is a francophile and studied to become a French teacher. Far from the Northern hemisphere reality of a white Christmas, Waseema reveals the Cape Town traditions over the holiday season. This is the second edition of the Expat in France link-up to gather expats living in France experiences. The French prefer a fancy log – of ice cream or sponge and chocolate. Public transport service schedules vary depending on where one is and hopes to travel. (I don’t think many French people will agree with me, especially the one that doesn’t really know the good English food!). France is still a largely Catholic country, which means that Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is still a fairly popular tradition. What differences did you notice between Christmas in France … <> I assumed, being just across the water, that a French Christmas would be just the same, but I was wrong. Perpignan is close to the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in France are on 24 and 25 December and are also widely celebrated French holidays, although in parts of northern and eastern France some children receive presents on the morning of St Nicholas’ Day on 6 December. It is also called Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Chaste Moon, Sugar Moon, and Sap Moon. The best part of Christmas isn’t the delicious food or the presents… it’s spending time with people you care about. Your email address will not be published. Such a lovely compilation of diverse expat stories here in France And you got it right–eu tenho muitooo saudades during the holiday season, especially this year! If you are wondering how does France celebrate Christmas, add a trip to Alsace in December in your 2021 bucket list. I think I found her blog researching about Brazil, my dream country! France emergency numbers: Do you know them? If you find an error, please let us know. Luckily, Saint Nicolas rescued the children and returned them to their parents. Christmas is celebrated as a public holiday in France on December 25, concurring alongside the United States and other countries. As it is not your first visit, never miss an update and be the first to receive new articles and information about life in France and insider tips! More, Skip the alphabet ‘L’ in everything you do on December 25 or A'phabet Day or No "L" Day. However, Alsace is the epicenter of French Christmas magic all along December! We really enjoy eating! Public life on Christmas Day is generally very quiet. Even the American holiday is overshadowed by the festivities the French culture imbues into its celebrations. Jocelyn will understand the special meaning the Brazilian give to this emotion. What kind of activities do you enjoy doing at Christmas time? Furnished vs unfurnished: Revealing France rental market secrets to make the best choice, My 10 tips to prepare a stress-free expatriation. People come together in cathedrals and churches across the country to pray and sing carols (known as Chants de Noël). A flat Almond cake is eaten called 'Galette des Rois'. There's more information about Christmas in France on the French Moments website To start, and this is not going to be a big surprise, in France, Christmas is centered around food. © Time and Date AS 1995–2021. Christmas day, December 25th is an official public holiday now in France. In France, Christmas day is officially on the 25th of December too, but in some traditional households celebrations start with a "Réveillon", a very late meal on the 24th, before going to church for midnight mass, or on returning home after the service. You already know there will be some food involved and of course the magic of Paris! My crazy 30-day expat blog challenge completed!!! How do the French celebrate Christmas? However, special Christmas meals are also popular. In France, it is celebrated with all the grace and enthusiasm befitting the French. At around midnight, French families eat a special meal to celebrate the very beginning of Christmas Day. He acts in much the same way as Santa Claus does in other worldwide Christmas traditions. Don’t you think? Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world. If you're new here, never miss an update and be the first to receive new articles and information about life in France and insider tips! We all know the English, but what do we know about the French Christmas Traditions? Your email address will not be published. However, some stores at airports, railway stations and major highways, may be open. The Nativity crib is naturally one of the main Christmas symbols. Let us know in the comments. Christmas Eve; The fun of Christmas in France happens mostly in the build to Christmas Day, the highlight of the festive season being le Réveillon (Christmas Eve). Even so, already at the end of November (a month before Christmas, approximately), the gun goes off for Christmas shopping and Christmas decorations. Une publication partagée par Sarah Latrille (@abuckeyeinparis). Midnight Mass in France varies from town to town, but generally, there are three masses recited. Now living in Alsace with her family, the magic of the Alsatian Christmas conquered her children. If you don’t remember the feeling of seeing a snowfall for the first time, Waseema will remind you with her story! She shares her personal experiences as an American expat, teaching English and living in the South-West of France. Jocelyn is Americano-Taiwanese or maybe Taiwanese-American. But now wait a second. She shares her tips on her French life and French red tape to help her fellow expat friends. Historically in my area of France, Christmas Trees weren’t as popular as they were in the UK and people preferred to have a nativity scene in their homes instead, however nowadays they often have both. Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas Day and is an important occasion for many French families. Most people in France celebrate in some way from 24th-26th. Although many people celebrate Christmas on the 25th December, in France the festive season officially begins on the 6th December, St Nicholas Day. Her blog is great inspiration and way to travel, also when we stay at home! Is Jocelyn’s favourite French winter food your favourite too? I’m thankful to be at home in Lyon for the holidays, but I also feel nostalgia and saudade as one part of my family couldn’t travel back to France from Taiwan for Christmas. Salad, peas, green beans, carrots and potatoes. This is why most people in France celebrate Christmas. Christians celebrate Christmas Day by remembering the Jesus Christ's birth in Bethlehem around the year 3 BCE (the date varies depending on different sources). Did you know that the French traditions of Christmas play an integral part of celebrating the birth of Jesus in France? Jocelyn tells us more about her family multicultural Holiday celebrations and her favourite Holidays traditions in Paris. Christmas is celebrated traditionally on Christmas Eve when the big meal is normally served, although Christmas Day is always a holiday too. Sarah also shares her French Christmas experience as an adult woman and living the French life in Paris with her French husband. The tradition actually dates back to the 400s when Roman Catholics began to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christians celebrate Christmas Day by remembering the Jesus Christ's birth in Bethlehem around the year 3 BCE (the date varies depending on different sources). Nativity crib. If you like traveling to Europe, Asia, California and Brazil, Jocelyn shares her anecdotes and personal tips while she “samba” through life! Stay tuned for her next episodes. Many people in France put up a Christmas tree, visit a special church service, eat an elaborate meal and open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. The meal can go for up to six hours. You will find a very detailed and accurate explanation of the French administrative process she went through but also personal recipes. In the first edition, the first expats shared about what they have learnt from being an expat in France. On the evening of December 24th, French families sit down together to celebrate Christmas and enjoy a variety of the most delicious dishes and wines. Also strolling around the Christmas markets. And I give a special thank you and wishes to Camden, Sarah, Chloe, Waseema and Jocelyn! I have been expatriated for studies, for work and also for love for a total of approximately 7 years so far. The origins of the celebration date from ancient times, but over the centuries many French regions have created their own traditions to ward … Many Christians in France celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day (Noël). While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. I wish Happy Holidays to all expats living in France and beyond! Chloe is from Devon in the UK. Chloe describes her French family authentic Christmas meal and traditions with her British view on the French cuisine! They include: Today, santons are still an important symbol of Christmas, particularly in the Provence, a region of southeastern France. Special fairs are held in December to enable people to buy more figures for their displays. If you are also a francophile, want some tips to learn French from a language teacher and discover the South of France, you will like her YouTube Channel. Camden will also take you cycling in the South of France via her Youtube channel! This religion has played an important role in the France's history. A letter from Santa Writing to Santa is a tradition across the world but in France he writes back! How convenient… So more and more, French people celebrate Christmas on the 25th, with a late lunch (kind of like Thanksgivingin the US). Paris excels in department store decoration and the magic of the City of Lights. Traditional French Christmas celebrations include letters from Santa, feasts on Christmas Eve and presents at the beginning of December! What all expats have in common during the holiday season away from home is the nostalgia, or saudade as the Brazilian would say. Sarah remembers her first Christmas abroad in France as a teenager and shares her thoughts on how she felt as he was spending for the first time this traditional holiday in a foreign country in the French Alps! French Christmas Traditions. 3. From the end of November, the cities of France transform into a magical wonderland with all the Christmas lights. In certain regions of France in the past, the tradition was that Père Fouettard would accompany Père Noël to spank naughty children! But the first difference between France and other countries, is that meal is not happening on the 25 but on the 24 on Christmas Eve. No other country in Europe celebrates Christmas in such a fashion. The date for the Christmas celebration in France is a bit flexible. She became a Parisian and will soon become French I believe according to the start of her French nationality application series on her blog! You will find good tips to discover this region on Camden’s blog Baguettes and Bicyclettes. Dishes may include: Many people spend Christmas Day quietly and some attend a special church service. What do the French do at Christmas. It is a mark of France’s civilisation that the nation has never embraced the Christmas pudding. My name is Guillemette RONY but I go by Mademoiselle Guiga. Traveling and cultural discovery couldn’t be complete without tasting it! Bastille Day is one of the biggest French holidays celebrated around the country. The celebrations take place because, once upon a time there were three children who got lost in the countryside. Sarah moved for love to Paris from Ohio, USA and now shares her love and her discoveries in this emblematic city on her blog Sucre Blue. She finally ended up teaching English in France. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the holiday season! bring this missing ingredient to your in-laws, sneak peek on how France celebrates Christmas. The expat nostalgia and the homesick feeling mixed with the gratitude of living an exceptional life of constant discovery. Required fields are marked *. Click here and you won't miss out on good tips! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Une publication partagée par ☽ 何思倫 (@sambathroughlife). Five expat bloggers from different countries reveal their personal experience of a French Christmas. The evening of December 24th is when French families sit down together to celebrate Christmas and enjoy festive French foods and wines. Thank you Chloe! This includes Christians (practicing or not), as well as people who simply like the tradition or are participating with their family. Many people work during some part of Christmas Eve but finish work early. So happy to hear that you got to spend the holidays back home in Lyon–and wishing you a happy new year! However, Alsace is the epicenter of French Christmas magic all along December! It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.