?? The Christmas meal in France is called “le réveillon de Noël” and usually takes place on December 24th. But, things change and now, many French families have their traditional Christmas meal on December 25th.

Some French Christmas Traditions

• Advent calendars – les calendriers de l’Avent. French children open Advent Calendars like in many other countries during the month of December leading up to Christmas.
• Postcards from Père Noël.
• The nativity scene.
• La Chandeleur.
• Le Réveillon de Noël.
• Père Fouettard.
• Shoes by the Fire.
• Christmas Dinner.

Here are 25 Christmas traditions in France to add to your festive celebrations.

• Advent. The four weeks before Christmas are dedicated to preparations for Christmas.
• Christmas Eve.
• Le Réveillon.
• Midnight Mass.
• Traditional French Christmas food.
• Les Treize (13) desserts.
• French alcohol at Christmas.
• Table decoration.

They do exchange presents; however, the emphasis in France is on getting together with family and friends and celebrating with an abundance of food and wine. In the Uk children hang up their stockings by the fireplace waiting for Father Christmas to fill them whereas French children put out shoes for “père Noël”.

Père Noël

It is a four-day festival taking place around the 8 December. Why does it take place at this time? In France, the 8 December is a celebration in honour of the Virgin Mary – la Vierge Marie. In Lyon, during this festival, there are amazing, artistic light shows illuminating the buildings.

The dishes that make a real French Christmas feast

• CAVIAR.
• OYSTERS.
• LOBSTER.
• FOIE GRAS.
• ESCARGOTS.
• COQUILLES SAINT JACQUES.
• ROAST TURKEY WITH CHESTNUT STUFFING.
• ALL KINDS OF BIRDS AND WILD FOWL.

In many countries, families gather and give gifts on Christmas Day. But French people tend to exchange gifts on the night of Christmas Eve (le réveillon (de Noël)), rather than on Christmas Day (Noël/le jour de Noël), although kids do often get their presents from le Pere Noël on Christmas morning.

Tradition has it that on Christmas Eve in France, children would leave their shoes out (not stockings!) in front of the fireplace for le Père Noël to fill with treats and toys. In some regions, especially eastern France, le Père Fouettard (the “Whipping Father”) would come if children had been naughty, not nice.

Capon or Turkey with chestnut stuffing This is the most popular and classic Christmas dish. Capon or Turkey is roasted in the oven with a generous chestnut stuffing. Sides are classic : chestnut again, green beans wrapped with bacon, truffle mashed potatoes…

Mendiants (4) They represent the color of the robes of the 4 religious orders of beggar monks.

• walnuts Augustinians.
• figs Franciscans.
• almonds Carmelites.
• raisins Dominicans.

Les Treize Desserts de Noël, or the thirteen desserts of Christmas are a tradition in Provence. They are enjoyed after le gros souper – the big supper. These thirteen desserts represent Jesus and his twelve apostles at the Last Supper.

14 Classic French Christmas Desserts

• 01 of 14. Classic French Croquembouche.
• 02 of 14. Opera Cake.
• 03 of 14. Classic French Madeleines.
• 04 of 14. Delicious Macarons.
• 05 of 14. Chocolate Bûche de Noël (Yule Log) Cake.
• 06 of 14. Traditional Speculaas.
• 07 of 14. French Crème au Caramel.
• 08 of 14. Dark Chocolate Truffles.

20 French Dessert Recipes For When You’re Feeling Fancy

• of 20. Easy French Macarons.
• of 20. Tulipes.
• of 20. Crêpes.
• of 20. Chocolate Banana Crepes.
• of 20. Faux “Crepe” Cake.
• of 20. Lemon-Berry Savarin.
• of 20. Coffee Crème Brûlée.
• of 20. Palmiers.

1. Crème brûlée. This custard based dessert is topped with a layer of crunchy caramel. The dessert is popular all over the world, but it originated in France, making it a must-try for anyone who’s traveling through.

rum baba

Top 10 Classic French Desserts And Where To Find Them

• Madeleines. Bakery, Bar, Patisserie, French, European, $$$
• Tarte Tatin. Cafe, Bakery, Ice Cream Parlour, French.
• Crème brûlée. Restaurant, French, $$$
• Mendiants. Cafe, French, $$$
• Crème caramel. Restaurant, Brasserie, French, $$$
• Canelés. Bakery, French.
• Mousse au chocolat.

Top 5 foods in France

• Cassoulet. One particular dish that gained popularity in southern France is Cassoulet.
• Oeufs en meurette. If you ever find yourself in Burgundy mid-morning then stop off for brunch and try this French version of poached eggs.
• Religieuse au chocolat.
• Baguette au fromage.
• Bouillabaisse.

Crème brûlée is one of the best Paris desserts – make sure to order it for dessert at a restaurant! With a creamy and rich custard base topped with caramelized sugar, crème brûlée is served in a small individual dish.

What is France famous for?

• France has the Eiffel Tower.
• French love cheese.
• France is famous for its excellent bread and croissants.
• French eat snails.
• France has great food.
• France has Champagne and wines.
• France is famous for its historical monuments.
• French love protests.

What Is France Famous For? (20 Prominent Things)

• The Eiffel Tower.
• The Louvre.
• Notre-Dame de Paris.
• Palace Of Versailles.
• Moulin Rouge.
• Disneyland Paris.
• Fashion.
• Fine Wines.

France is also famous for the Tour de France and the Eiffel. Symbols such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, and the Georges Pompidou Center make Paris one of the most visited places in the world.

Without any doubt, one of the things France is most known for is their cheese, well, cheeses, as they have more than a thousand varieties of them. You probably have heard about some very typical like the Camembert, the Brie or the Roquefort cheese, but these are just the famous ones.

France places 31st out of 36 countries in terms of a friendly attitude towards families with children. But despite the downsides some 64 percent of respondents in France said moving to the country had made them happier, compared to 61 percent globally.

The World Bank classifies France as a wealthy, high-income nation. Tourism is a major contributor to the economy – France generally tops lists of most visited countries. Other major economic sectors include industry, agriculture, energy and defense. The country is one of the world’s top exporters of weapons.

France is a powerful country because of: Its military might. Economic clout. Cultural and diplomatic influence.

In terms of military power, France is far better than Germany (atomic bomb isn’t for nothing in it), and they share the diplomatic influence, France having the largest ambassies net in the world behind USA and Germany having a neutral position on many subjects.

1648