Curious about how French people celebrate major holidays? Christmas, Halloween, Chandeleur and more.
Once upon a time, there was a revolution in France. The date was July 14, 1789, when the French people marched on the prison at Bastille in Paris, marking start of the fall of the monarchy, and the cry of…
Vacationing in France is a big deal. French people have a lot of holidays, and they fully intend to use them. The minimum annual vacation is legally set at 5 weeks, but most people have anywhere from 7-10 weeks, counting…
Like in many countries around the world, May Day on 1er Mai (meaning "the 1st of May), is a public holiday in France. Celebrating the start of spring, the occasion has merged with the International Workers' Day to also celebrate…
Candlemas is not one of the most widely recognized holidays, but if you like crêpes this is the day for you. Known in France as La Chandeleur, it is celebrated on February 2nd by gathering at friends' homes and eating…
Once upon a time, the French tried to change time. Or rather how we tell time. You might think it was at a time when people thought the world was flat, but it was actually to embrace logic and coherence…
Christmas may be celebrated in many parts of the world, but in France, that celebration may involve hot wine and oysters. And a lot of other things that you may or may not consider unusual. Noël - ChristmasFrench - English…
The expression "faire le pont" probably happens in everywhere around the world, but the reason it is a notable expression is that it happens so often here in France. Or at least in the life of the average French office…
You know it is soon going to be Christmas when you hear the carols playing on the radio and see the decorations go up. Whether you are in Paris in winter or elsewhere in the world, there is always a…
There are 11 public holidays in France. But there are a lot more French national holidays, celebrations, and traditions during the year that don't necessarily come with a day off. And having lived in Paris for over 10 years now,…
It is the middle of March and there was a mad scramble this week chez nous, to try to find a fancy dress costume for one of my little Frenchies. It isn't Halloween of course, that would be too simple.…
It's the Jour de l'Epiphanie! Otherwise known as 3 Kings Day! Time for some cake! Or a pastry type dessert, known as a galette des rois, if you want to get specific. It is a type of cake made from pastry…
I should state right off the bat that people don't really celebrate Halloween in France. The French simply don't register it on their calendar radar, the way we do in North America. That would be way too commercial and quite…
Eek!! I just realized that Mother’s day is coming up fast! Or not so fast, depending on where you are. For my mom in North America, Mother’s day is the 2nd Sunday in May, but for my kids, the Mother's day in France…
The French take their food very seriously. They also take Christmas very seriously. And so, as you can imagine, out of the many French Christmas traditions, eating is one of the most important! I'd venture to say that in France…