Christmas in

France

In France, Christmas is a time for family and for generosity, marked by family reunions, gifts and candy for children, gifts for the poor, Midnight Mass, and le Réveillon.

The celebration of Christmas in France varies by region. Most provinces celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December.

The tradition

French children put their shoes in front of the fireplace, in the hopes that PèreNoël (aka Papa Noël) will fill them with gifts. Candy, fruit, nuts, and small toys will also be hung on the tree overnight.

Nearly every French home at Christmastime displays a Nativity scene or creche, which serves as the focus for the Christmas celebration. The creche is often peopled with little clay figures called santons or "little saints“.

In addition to the usual Holy Family, shepherds, and Magi, the craftsmen also produce figures in the form of local dignitaries and characters.

The Christmas tree has never been particularly popular in France, and though the use of the Yule log has faded, the French make a traditional Yule log-shaped cake called the buche de Nol, which means "Christmas Log.“

The cake, among other food in great abundance is served at the grand feast of the season, which is called le reveillon. Le reveillon is a very late supper held after midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

French families used to have a Three Kings Cake with a bean hidden in it. Whoever found the bean in their slice was made King, or Queen, for the day.

In the north of France, children are given gifts on December 6, which is St. Nicholas' Day, instead of Christmas Day. The adults give each others presents on New Year's Day.

Strasbourg the capital of Christmas

Founded in 1570, Strasbourg Christmas market is without a doubt the most famous of all thanks to its size and location in the capital of Europe.

Young and old will love to stroll from chalet to chalet, enjoying the spice bread, bretzels, confectionery, pastries and mulled wine on offer.

Dating back to the 16th century, Strasbourg is the oldest Christmas market in France and one of the largest, with enchanting stalls selling handicrafts, mulled wine, traditional bridle cakes and other delights from the magical medieval square beneath the city’s imposing pink sandstone Gothic cathedral. It draws in approximately 2 million visitors each year

The feast day of Saint Nicholas

St. Nicolas comes primarily in Alsace, Nord-Pas-de-Calais (French Flanders), and in Lorraine, where he is patron. A little donkey carries baskets filled with children's gifts, biscuits and sweets.

The whole family gets ready for the saint's arrival on 6 December, with grandparents telling stories of the saint.

The most popular one (also the subject of a popular French children's song) is of three children who wandered away and got lost.

Cold and hungry, a wicked butcher lured them into his shop where he killed them and salted them away in a large tub.

Through St. Nicolas' help the boys were revived and returned to their families, earning him a reputation as protector of children.

The evil butcher followed St. Nicolas in penance ever since Père Fouettard. In France, statues and paintings often portray this event, showing the saint with children in a barrel.

Bakeries and home kitchens are a hive of activity as spiced gingerbread biscuits and mannala (a brioche shaped like the saint) are baked.

French food

A good portion of a French family's Christmas budget is devoted not only to presents but to a long list of culinary delicacies. Traditionally, a French family attends mass at midnight and then comes home for the Christmas Eve dinner.

Few famous christmas foods are:

oysters

Foie grassmoked salmon

Crêpe chapon

Ganzeltopfdinde aux marrons

Frenchdesserts

The thirteen desserts are the traditional dessert foods used in celebrating Christmas in the French region of Provence.

The "big supper" ends with a ritual 13 desserts, representing Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. The desserts always number thirteen but the exact items vary by local or familial tradition.

The food traditionally is set out Christmas Eve and remains on the table three days until December 27.

The desserts are traditionally set out Christmas Eve and remain on the table three days until December 27.* Walnut* Quince cheese* Almond* Raisin* Calisson of Aix-en-Provence* Nougat blanc* Nougat noir au miel* Apple* Pear* orange* Winter melon* fougasse (Provençal bread)

Presentation by•Shruthi sankara narayanan•Dhurga devi•Nirma bishnoi•Vaibhav•Abhijith•Kevimedo tungoe

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