How to Celebrate a French Christmas

In France, Christmas is called "Noël." Family and friends celebrate the holiday by gathering for a festive meal.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Christmas Gifts
• Red Bows
• Red Ribbons
• Christmas Trees
• Candles
• Wines
• Wine Glasses

1. Set up a Nativity scene, or "crèche," in your home with small clay figures called "santons," or little saints. Visit annual local craft fairs where you'll find these colorful figurines.
2. Serve a Christmas cake, or "bûche de Noël," which is shaped like a yule log.
3. Decorate your Christmas tree with red ribbons and real white candles.
4. Prepare a grand feast of the season, called "le réveillon" (which means "awakening"). This is a late supper served on Christmas Eve following the midnight Mass. It signifies the recognition of the importance of Christ's birth.
5. Select regional foods for the menu. For instance, in Paris, oysters and pâté de foie gras are served. In Alsace, goose is a popular selection, and in Burgundy, turkey is served with chestnuts.
6. Bake "Christ cakes," which are sugar cookies formed in the shape of the Christ child.
7. Remind your children to place their shoes ("sabots") in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve so Père Noël (Father Christmas) can fill them with gifts.
8. Expect Père Noël to visit your house, accompanied by Père Fouettard, who keeps track of how well children have behaved in the past year.
9. Remember that in some parts of France, small gifts arrive on St. Nicholas' Eve (December 6) and bigger gifts on Christmas Day. In other places it is "le petit Jesus" who brings the gifts.

Tips & Warnings

• Serve good wine on this special occasion.
• Adults usually wait until New Year's Day to exchange gifts.
• "Joyeux Noël" means "Merry Christmas" in French.
• France is a sophisticated country with several cultural influences, so Christmas traditions are diverse and cannot be generalized. The preceding steps represent a few local traditions that may or may not be appropriate for your personal celebration of Christmas.

Who Can Help:

• Find Tree & Shrub Services Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.