The most important and expected holiday in France, as in most countries, is Christmas. Begin to prepare for it for at least a month. On the one hand, this is a religious holiday, but people of any faith celebrate it. Most of all, children are waiting for this day, because when will there be such a unique opportunity to wake up early in the morning and find gifts under a beautiful sparkling Christmas tree?
The overall picture of the holiday
Christmas in France is celebrated for one month: from December 6 to January 6. Many rightly consider this period to be the most magical and fabulous, and have been waiting for it all year. So what day in France is Christmas? The holiday itself is celebrated on December 25th. If you visit the country at this time, you can immerse yourself in the incredibly hospitable atmosphere of celebration and fun. All streets begin to play with new colors, various light bulbs and snowflakes sparkle everywhere. Fir-trees stand wherever possible: in apartments, shops, on the streets and even in entrances. Christmas looks so beautiful and bright in France. The day passes very quickly, people in anticipation of the holiday in a hurry to buy gifts to all their relatives and friends. They are most suitable for choosing gifts for children, because they most of all expect a miracle. If you ask any resident of this country: “What day is the Christmas holiday in France?”, You will certainly be given the answer, because it is very important. There is such a tradition - to put shoes on to the fireplace, so that Santa Claus leaves a gift in them for a good behavior during an overnight visit.
In addition to celebrations in the family, on the streets and in public places, various events related to Christmas are also held . In all the cathedrals, festive concerts begin in a few days. But the main Christmas service is held in Notre Dame Cathedral. Mass festivities take place on the main street of Paris, which is called the Champs Elysees. The magical Christmas holiday in France continues even at night, although you can’t immediately say that it got dark on the street, because everything is decorated with such a huge number of garlands and lanterns that it becomes as bright as day.
Family holiday
Christmas in France is usually celebrated purely in the family circle. If in some countries the exchange of postcards is considered an optional formality, then here without this there is nowhere. In all cities except Paris, there are no mass festivities. The only thing that takes the French out this evening is the launch of fireworks. Usually, all family members gather at a table by the Christmas tree for a Christmas dinner, which is called a reylon. In this country, there is even a standard Christmas menu consisting of seven dishes:
- soup with sage and garlic;
- spinach or cod;
- olives;
- Fried fish;
- celery in anchovy oil;
- snails;
- goose liver.
In anticipation of the holidays, farmers begin active preparation. They have a lot of work, because the demand for geese, turkeys, pigs is growing very much.
In addition to the above dishes, the table is complemented with the best wine, champagne, truffles and goose liver pate. Poultry meat is an indispensable component of the festive table. That's the day Christmas is celebrated in France. Everything goes quietly and peacefully.
Christmas log
The French have an unusual tradition, which is to prepare Christmas logs. They believe that this procedure will help them improve the quality of the crop, that the sawn trunk has magic. The tree for logs is selected by fruit. The fruits of oak and beech are the main food of peasants, as well as livestock. So cutting down the trunks, people believe that in this way they improve their future fruitfulness. In some places, Christmas logs are even used as a place for a gift. Most of all it is used for children; various sweets or fruits are placed in it. In Russia, the traditional New Year’s film is Irony of Fate, and in France, Santa Claus is a scumbag.
Symbol of spruce
Christmas in France is symbolized by a tree such as spruce. He is the personification of life and for many years has been the subject of worship. But it has become an integral part of Christmas celebrations not so long ago. The French adopted this tradition from Germany. But she did not take root right away, but gradually, when each region one by one took this custom. And today they cannot imagine this holiday without a Christmas tree. Now these trees are specially grown for the Christmas period. In ancient times, many nations worshiped trees, today the situation begins to resemble something like this: people decorate spruce using the most beautiful decorations. No central square of any French, even the smallest town, can do without a smartly decorated Christmas tree. Whatever house you enter, everywhere it will be, maybe not just one. The production of a wide variety of Christmas tree decorations is given special attention. Counters are full of a variety of toys for every taste. In ancient times, Christmas trees were decorated with fruits, most often they were apples. But how did people switch to other jewelry? It turns out that in 1858 there were very few apples due to an unsuccessful harvest and they had to be replaced with glass toys. This tradition has survived to this day.
Christmas day nursery
Another of the Christmas traditions is the reproduction of the Nativity scene. Such decorations are installed both in churches and in houses, but this was not always the case. Initially, nurseries were set up exclusively in churches, until wealthy aristocrats began to do this at home. Now absolutely anyone can do this. Since the 19th century, the active release of saints' figures began. In many cities, there are craftsmen who manually paint wonderful toys with their images. This tradition is not only French, but also pan-European. Probably, there is at least one figurine in each house, regardless of whether a religious family or not.
Feasts of Fools and Kings
From January 1 to 6 pass the Feasts of Fools. They are carnivals organized by the Lord of Disorder, who is the most important fool in the area. January 6 is the Feast of Kings. This is already a family event. Especially for him, according to tradition, an almond cake is prepared, which is painted with a paper crown. They also make another small crown and bake it inside. The one to whom she gets, gets the right to become king or queen for one day. What day in France is Christmas specifically celebrated? In principle, the holiday lasts for all 30 days.
Christmas markets
Almost all cities have Christmas markets. They last from about the end of November to December 24. In very small cities, markets open only for a couple of days, preferably on weekends. This event is a lot of decorated tents in a row. Usually they sell candies, cookies, various sweets, mulled wine, Christmas tree decorations, crafts. In fact, the assortment of the tent depends on the region in which it is located. But in any case, this tradition only adds to the festive mood, because here everything is very beautifully decorated and organized. And there you can buy some unusual gifts or souvenirs. Like the holiday itself, the tradition of markets migrated from German culture.
Boxing Day
The first day of the New Year has an official name - Boxing Day. This Christmas holiday in France is also actively celebrated. This tradition was borrowed from the Romans, who prepared gifts for each other from figs, dates and honey, which meant the wishes of a sweet life in the new year. But over time, customs changed, and people began to give silver coins and medals. Thus, grandparents give their grandchildren money. The established tradition on this day is to leave a certain amount of money for relatives, which the postman, concierge or someone else will give them. Also on this day, all relatives, friends and relatives exchange vows and wishes.