Advent in France – L’Avent en France

Christmas in France

In France, a Nativity crib is often used to help decorate the house. French cribs have clay figures in them. During December some towns and cities, such as Marseilles, have fairs that sell Nativity figures. As well as having the normal Nativity figures in them, French scenes also have figures such as a Butcher, a Baker, a Policeman and a Priest.

In French Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Joyeux Noël'. In Breton (spoken by some people in Brittany, Northern France) it's 'Nedeleg Laouen' and in Corsican it's 'Bon Natale'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Yule Logs made out of Cherry Wood are often burned in French homes. The log is carried into the home on Christmas Eve and is sprinkled with red wine to make the log smell nice when it is burning. There is a custom that the log and candles are left burning all night with some food and drinks left out in case Mary and the baby Jesus come past during the night.

In France, Father Christmas / Santa Claus / St. Nicholas is called Père Noël (Father Christmas). In eastern France he is accompanied by Le Pere Fouettard, a man dressed in black. He might be the same person as Zwarte Piet in The Netherlands.

The main Christmas meal, called Réveillon, is eaten on Christmas Eve/early Christmas morning after people have returned from the midnight Church Service. Dishes might include roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison and cheeses. For dessert, a chocolate sponge cake log called a bûche de Noël is normally eaten.

Another celebration, in some parts of France, is that 13 different desserts are eaten! All the desserts are made from different types of Fruit, Nuts and Pastries.

Epiphany, called Fête des Rois in French, is also celebrated in France on January 6th. A flat Almond cake is eaten called 'Galette des Rois'. The cake has a toy crown inside and is decorated on top with a gold paper crown.

Advent Calendars are of course given to eager French children in anticipation of Christmas. Although the original versions contained pious images, the modern-day ones are filled with toys and chocolates. At Christmas time, the local postman or fire fighter will knock on every door, selling calendars for the coming New Year. The post office calendars are called “Almanach du facteur”.

Advent in France – L’Avent en France

Advent (“L’Avent”, in French) is a time of waiting and preparing for Christmas. It lasts for four weeks, starting on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. ‘Advent’ derives from the Latin ‘adventus’ meaning “coming”. In Europe, November is the first month of the year when the weather is usually dark and cold.

The period of the Advent represents the hope of Christmas, when light conquers and expels darkness. The preparation for Christmas during the four weeks of Advent makes the sad days of November into an exciting time, particularly for children.

Children mark the progression of the four last weeks before Christmas by opening one door per day on an Advent calendar, while at home and in churches, Advent wreaths are lit.

French Christmas Tree (Le Sapin de Noël en France) - decorated with ornaments, glistening tinsel, blinking fairy lights and topped by a star, the Christmas tree has become an iconic figure of Christmas since its origins in the 16th century. This page will tell you when and where the tradition started and how it became a major part of the holiday festivities.

In France, the Christmas tree first appeared in Alsace in 1521 and is called “sapin de noël” or “arbre de noël”. The tree, covered in red apples and lights, symbolised the venue of Christ: ‘the light that illuminates the world’. A fir tree is the best choice because they do not lose their leaves during winter, which doubles as a symbol of hope and eternal life. It is a more secular tradition than that of the Nativity and thus more appreciated by protestant countries such as northern Germany and Scandinavia.

Bastille Day 2015: Facts, Traditions And History Of French National Day

Food, drinks, and fireworks in July may sound like an American holiday, but just 10 days after America’s Independence Day, on July 14, the French also have their own red, white and blue holiday -- Bastille Day. The annual celebration, known to the French as “La Fête Nationale” is a nationwide holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of France marked by the storming of Bastille.

The Anglicized term of “Bastille Day” comes from the name of a medieval prison called Bastille, where political prisoners were held for arbitrary reasons and had no chance of appeal at the hands of Louis XVI’s royal government, according to France’s government website. Because of this, Bastille became a symbol of the oppressive monarchy and was the reason why it was targeted by the people of Paris when they stormed the fortress on July 14, 1789. Though there were only seven prisoners held in Bastille that day, the revolt was hugely symbolic of liberation of the French public, which continues to be a central part of France’s core ideals which are represented by its three-color flag: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity for all.

Today celebrations are a representation little more lighthearted but still carry a great deal of tradition. Thousands in Paris gather along the streets of Paris to watch the pageantry that is the Bastille Day Military Parade, which is considered to be the oldest and largest military parade in Europe, according to the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Paris. The French military make their way along Champs-Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. Other popular activities including Fireman’s Ball, which are a series of parties hosted by France’s fire stations who open their doors for the day turning the city into a giant outdoor fair.

A national holiday wouldn’t be complete without a spread of traditional French food. Celebrating the holiday means eating outdoors and enjoying casual meals with friends and family during the day which can include picnic foods like quiche, fruits, vegetable and some champagne, to more traditionally French spreads of rillettes or pot au feu.

A long day of festivities is marked with a dramatic display of fireworks launched from the Eiffel Tower. The celebration of Bastille Day has spread beyond French borders and been adopted by Francophile living in the England, Canada and the United States. With the title of “America’s most French city,” New Orleans often has a big Bastille Day celebration, featuring film festivals, live music and food.

№ 2 French Culture: Customs & Traditions

Most people associate French culture with Paris, which is a center of fashion, cuisine, art and architecture, but life outside of the City of Lights is very different and varies by region.

France doesn't just have different cultures; the word "culture" actually comes from France. "'Culture' derives from the same French term, which in turn derives from the Latin colere, meaning to tend to the earth and grow, cultivation and nurture," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London, told Live Science.

Historically, French culture was influenced by Celtic and Gallo-Roman cultures as well as the Franks, a Germanic tribe. France was initially defined as the western area of Germany known as Rhineland but it later came to refer to a territory that was known as Gaul during the Iron Age and Roman era.

Languages

French is the dominant language of the country’s 66 million residents, but there are a number of variants based on region. French, the official language, is the first language of 88 percent of the population, according to the BBC. French is the second most widely learned foreign language in the world, with almost 120 million students, according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development.

About 3 percent of the population speaks German dialects and there is a small group of Flemish speakers in the northeast, according to the BBC. Arabic is the third-largest minority language.

Those living near the border of Italy may speak Italian as a second language, and Basque is spoken by people living along the French-Spanish border.

Other dialects and languages include Catalan, Breton (the Celtic language), Occitan dialects, and languages from the former French colonies, including Kabyle and Antillean Creole.

Religion

Catholicism is the predominant religion of France. In a survey by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP), 64 percent of the population (about 41.6 million people) identified themselves as Roman Catholic. According to a 2010 survey by the Pew Research Center, 7.5 percent (4.7 million people) are Muslim. Pew estimated that the Jewish population was 310,000; there were 280,000 Buddhists and 30,000 Hindus. Nearly 18 million people practiced folk religions, "other" religions or no religion ("unaffiliated").

Values

The French take immense great pride in their nation and government and are typically offended by any negative comments about their country. Visitors, particularly Americans, often interpret their attitude toward foreigners as rude.

The expression "chauvinism" — meaning an attitude that members of your own gender are always better than those of the opposite sex, or a belief that your country, race, etc., is better than any others — originated in France around 1851, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. While women are playing a greater role in family life and business, many still see it as a male-dominated culture.

The French embody romance and passion, and there is an open attitude toward sex outside of marriage, according to a study by France's National Research Agency on AIDS. Even the country’s top politicians have been known to carry out extramarital affairs without making an effort to conceal them. As a reflection of the country’s secular nature, about half of children are born to unmarried couples.

"From around the 16th century, in Europe, culture became a term for the cultivation of the mind, the intellect, knowledge, learning, creative faculties and acceptable ways of behaving," said De Rossi. The French embrace style and sophistication and take pride in the fact that even their public spaces strike a regal tone.

The French believe in égalité, which means equality, and is part of the country’s motto: "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité." Many say they place a higher importance on equality than liberty and fraternity, the other two words in the motto.

A traditional French dish is coq au vin — chicken in Burgundy wine, lardons (small strips or cubes of pork fat), button mushrooms, onions and garlic.
French cuisine

Food and wine are central to life at all socioeconomic levels, and much socializing is done around lengthy dinners.

While cooking styles have changed to emphasize lighter fare, many still associate French cooking with heavy sauces and complicated preparation. Some classic French dishes include boeuf bourguignon — a stew made of beef braised in red wine, beef broth and seasoned with garlic, onions and mushrooms — and coq au vin, a dish made with chicken, Burgundy wine, lardons (small strips or cubes of pork fat), button mushrooms, onions and optional garlic.

Currently, traditional French cooking is on the decline. Seventy percent of the restaurants in France are using prepared meals instead of fresh cuisine that is a cornerstone of the culture, according to the New York Times.

Clothing

Paris is known as the home to many high-end fashion houses, such as Dior, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Many French people dress in a sophisticated, professional and fashionable style, but it is not overly fussy. Typical outfits include nice dresses, suits, long coats, scarves and berets.

The term haute couture is associated with French fashion and loosely means fancier garments that are handmade or made to order. In France, the term is protected by law and is defined by the Paris Chamber of Commerce, according to Eva Domjian, a London-based fashion writer and editor. Domjian writes on her blog:

"To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the term haute couture in its advertising and any other way, a fashion house must follow these rules:

1. Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings.

2. Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time.

3. Each season (i.e. twice a year) present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs/exits with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear."

French art

Art is everywhere in France — particularly in Paris and other major cities — and Gothic, Romanesque Rococo and Neoclassic influences can be seen in many churches and other public buildings.

Many of history’s most renowned artists, including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro, sought inspiration in Paris, and they gave rise to the Impressionism movement.

The Louvre Museum in Paris is among the world’s largest museums and is home to many famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 793