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CHRISTMAS IN FRANCE

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Twelve traditions that make a French Christmas

Christmas in France isn't quite like anywhere else, and the French have plenty of centuries-old, quirky traditions. Here are twelve to follow.

Published: 13 December 2018 17:15 CET
Twelve traditions that make a French Christmas
Photo: AFP

Flexible Christmas Day

Photo: Pxhere/Wikicommons

Obviously the French don't actually move Christmas Day around, but they are more flexible when it comes to giving presents. In the north of the country, gifts are often offered to children on December 6th, the feast of St Nicolas. Many families prefer to exchange presents on Christmas Eve and others, who must have impressive willpower, do the giving and receiving on January 6th, the Feast of the Kings.

Postcards from Père Noël

Photo: AFP

Letters from French kids to Father Christmas don't just disappear into dustbins or drawers in France. Since 1962, France has had a law that stipulates any letter to Santa must be responded to in the form of a postcard.

The law has no doubt helped boost the myth of Santa Claus among France's children, although it's doubtful the postmen appreciate all the extra work.

La Tante Airie 

La Tante Airie (also spelt 'Arie') hails from the Pays de Montbéliard in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France where she steals the Christmas limelight from Santa Claus. The folklore goes that this good fairy takes people who have been frozen by the cold into her grotto and warms their hearts once more by performing a miracle. 

But that's not all. 

La Tante Airie, who is always accompanied by her donkey, also listens to children's wishes which are carried to her by the wind and gives the good children wonderful gifts, while leaving the naughty ones with nothing but a boot of twigs. 

Gather round the fire

There is a long held tradition that lives on in certain parts of France, of neighbours gathering around a giant fire on Christmas Eve. Known as hailhe de Nadau (also spelt 'haille' or 'halha' de Nadau), in some parts of France people still meet around the fire to share a moment, as well as enjoy some Christmassy treats, drinks and music to accompany the flames.
 
 
 
Crèche Crazy

The traditional nativity crib is a common sight in households across the world at Christmas, but in Provence they take the crèche to a whole new level. It's not just the usual characters like Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph who make an appearance in the crib, but all kinds of figures, (known as santons), including vegetable sellers, bakers, men selling roasted chestnuts, local dignitaries… in fact, anyone you can think of.

Find out more about the tradition HERE.

Father slapper


Photo: Wikicommons

This character has a few different incarnations in countries around Europe, but in France, at least in the north and east of the country, he is known as Père Fouettard. Although social services would be on the lookout for Père Fouettard today, back in the day the Whipping Father, or Slapping Santa as he was known, would accompany St. Nicholas and was said to bring a whip with him to spank any naughty kids.

Clogs by the Fire


Photo: dmertl/Flickr

In France, children leave out their shoes or socks in front of the fireplace, hoping Père Nöel will fill them to the brim with little presents, sweets, fruit, nuts and anything else that will fit in there. Children with small feet must feel shortchanged.  

Quality not Quantity

 

Christmas market??

Une publication partagée par Xueting Wang (@wang_xueting0316) le 25 Nov. 2017 à 10h15 PST

More habit than tradition, but when it comes to Christmas shopping the French don't go as bananas as their British and American counterparts. In France the motto is “quality not quantity” and people will shop in the traditional Christmas markets as much as in the deluxe stores, although some doubt the quality on offer at the markets these days.

There are no Boxing Day sales either, unlike in Britain. That madness is deferred until the New Year. Having said all that, the sight of shoppers laden with bags is becoming more common, so the trend for Christmas shopping sprees may be catching on.

Here's a list of the best traditional Christmas markets in France.

La Messe de Minuit

Midnight mass with 'living creche'. Photo: AFP

France might officially be a secular country, but the tradition of midnight mass lives on. And it's no surprise, given the array of stunning cathedrals across the country which are often packed to the rafters for a midnight mass, where traditional Christmas carols and hymns are sung to get everyone in the festive mood, and also to work up an appetite. (See next).

Christmas Eve Feast


Photo: Wikicommons

Otherwise known as Le Reveillon, the big Christmas meal in French families will often take place late on Christmas Eve or even in the early hours of Christmas morning after midnight mass. The menu for the feast will vary depending on the region but turkey stuffed with chestnuts is a regular on tables, as well as goose, oysters and foie gras.

The Burning of the Yule Log

This custom is observed mainly in the south of France, where families burn a log in their homes from Christmas Eve until New Year's Day. In the old days, the tradition was that part of the log be used to make the wedge for a family's plough, in order to bring good luck for the coming harvest. The custom these days, however, is more likely to see families tuck in to a chocolate version of the Yule Log rather than the wooden one.

Galette of Kings

 

My galette des rois ?✨

Une publication partagée par Cat (@meowmeowbycat) le 5 Janv. 2017 à 12h46 PST

The French mark the 12th day Christmas or the feast of Epiphany, by scoffing down one final pastry – known as the galette des rois or “cake of kings”. Inside the cake is hidden a charm known as a fève. Whoever finds it in their portion is a king or queen and wins the right to wear the crown and choose their partner. This ritual may sound daft, but it's still taken very seriously.

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Five signs you’ve settled into life in Switzerland

Getting adjusted to Swiss ways is not always easy for foreign nationals, but with a lot of perseverance it can be done. This is how you know you’ve assimilated.

Published: 30 September 2021 16:50 CEST
Updated: 14 August 2022 07:05 CEST
Five signs you've settled into life in Switzerland
No lint: Following laundry room rules is a sign of integration in Switzerland. Photo by Sara Chai from Pexels

Much has been said about Switzerland’s quirkiness, but when you think about it, this country’s idiosyncrasies are not more or less weird than any other nation’s — except for the fact that they are expressed in at least three languages which, admittedly, can complicate matters a bit.

However, once you master the intricacies and nuances of Swiss life, you will feel like you belong here.

This is when you know you’ve “made it”.

You speak one of the national languages, even if badly

It irritates the Swiss to no end when a foreigner, and particularly an English-speaking foreigner, doesn’t make an effort to learn the language of a region in which he or she lives, insisting instead that everyone communicates to them in their language.

So speaking the local language will go a long way to being accepted and making you feel settled in your new home.

You get a Swiss watch and live by it

Punctuality is a virtue here, while tardiness is a definite no-no.

If you want to ingratiate yourself to the Swiss, be on time. Being even a minute late  may cause you to miss your bus, but also fail in the cultural integration.

‘The pleasure of punctuality’: Why are the Swiss so obsessed with being on time?

Using an excuse like “my train was late” may be valid in other countries, but not in Switzerland.

The only exception to this rule is if a herd of cows or goats blocks your path, causing you to be late.

A close-up of a Rolex watch in Switzerland.

Owning a Rolex is a sure sign you’re rich enough to live in Switzerland. Photo by Adam Bignell on Unsplash

You sort and recycle your trash

The Swiss are meticulous when it comes to waste disposal and, not surprisingly, they have strict regulations on how to throw away trash in an environmentally correct manner.

Throwing away all your waste in a trash bag without separating it first — for instance, mixing PET bottles with tin cans or paper — is an offence in Switzerland which can result in heavy fines, the amount of which is determined by each individual commune.

In fact, the more assiduous residents separate every possible waste item — not just paper, cardboard, batteries and bottles (sorted by colour), but also coffee capsules, yogurt containers, scrap iron and steel, organic waste, carpets, and electronics.

In fact, with their well-organised communal dumpsters or recycling bins in neighbourhoods, the Swiss have taken the mundane act of throwing out one’s garbage to a whole new level of efficiency.

So one of the best ways to fit in is to be as trash-oriented as the Swiss.

READ MORE: Eight ways you might be annoying your neighbours (and not realising it) in Switzerland

You trim your hedges with a ruler

How your garden looks says a lot about you.

If it’s unkempt and overgrown with weeds, you are clearly a foreigner (though likely not German or Austrian).

But if your grass is cut neatly and your hedges trimmed with military-like precision (except on Sundays), and some of your bushes and shrubs are shaped like poodles,  you will definitely fit in.

You follow the laundry room rules

If you live in an apartment building, chances are there is a communal laundry room in the basement that is shared by all the residents.

As everything else in Switzerland, these facilities are regulated by a …laundry list of “dos” and “don’ts” that you’d well to commit to memory and adhere to meticulously.

These rules relate to everything from adhering to the assigned time slot to removing lint from the dryer.

Following each rule to the letter, and not trying to wash your laundry in someone else’s time slot, is a sign of successful integration.

Voilà, the five signs you are “at home” in Switzerland.

READ MORE: French-speaking Switzerland: Seven life hacks that will make you feel like a local

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