Our French neighbors celebrate Christmas in much the same way we do. From the Christmas market during Advent to the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and the presents - it's all there. The high point, as in Germany, is the lavish Christmas meal with the family. But does the celebration play out exactly the way we know it? Not quite! Even within France, customs and traditions differ.
How Christmas is celebrated in France
Christmas Eve (Réveillon) begins in France like an ordinary day: the children go to school as usual, and the adults go to work. The shops, meanwhile, stay open until the evening like on any workday - something hard to imagine in Germany, where stores usually close by early afternoon. In the evening, at least among adults such as coworkers and neighbors, gifts are already exchanged. The actual gift-giving that the children in particular look forward to, however, doesn't happen until the morning of December 25. As it should be, the presents lie under the Christmas tree (sapin de Noël). Who put them there? Santa Claus, of course, who secretly delivered them down the chimney the night before.
French Christmas is essentially just like the German one: houses and apartments are festively decorated with fir and mistletoe branches, small wooden nativity scenes, and other trimmings. On Christmas Day, the family traditionally comes together to listen to and sing French Christmas songs and then to eat well. The highlight of the celebration is the Christmas feast. Even so, Christmas varies from region to region: in Provence, everything is staged a little more grandly - nativity plays are especially common here at the Christmas markets, and the Christmas meal is noticeably more elaborate.
In Alsace, where the Christmas season begins on the first Sunday of Advent and doesn't end until Epiphany in January, Christmas trees are more popular than in other parts of France, where individual fir branches often stand in for the tree. No wonder: after all, the custom of putting up Christmas trees comes from Alsace - did you know that? In large parts of the country, though, Christmas is over just a day after our first Christmas Day. The French have only this one day off, since December 26 is not a public holiday.
Merry Christmas in French: Joyeux Noël!
At a glance
- People usually work as normal on Christmas Eve
- There is no second Christmas Day in France
- Customs differ from region to region
- The highlight is the Christmas meal with 7 main courses and 13 desserts
- A typical French Christmas meal
On the evening of December 24, the family heads out together, either to a restaurant or to the large holiday table at home, where they dine generously. The traditional Christmas meal, with seven courses and 13 desserts, symbolizes the Last Supper.
It usually starts with an aperitif, followed by a hearty first course, for example a salad with oysters or smoked salmon.
Then come the savory dishes: goose or foie gras, a turkey stuffed with chestnuts, or a lamb or beef roast. A stuffed capon or the well-known duck à l'orange are options too - depending on the region and personal taste. Often the spread is rounded off with a fish dish.
To wind down the main courses, a cheese platter with bread and butter frequently follows.
Those with a sweet tooth wait for the 13 desserts: the most important is the Bûche de Noël, the Yule log. In France and other French-speaking countries, this traditional treat made of sponge cake and chocolate buttercream is a must.
The dessert reflects the French custom in which each guest brings the hosts a piece of wood so they can heat their home, and burns a log whose scattered ashes were later meant to ensure a good harvest in the fields. Champagne, of course, can't be missing from any of it.
