Enjoy Your Christmas Vacation in France

In France, Christmas is more or less a family affair. During this time of the year, people indulge in lots of fun and merry-making. Most of the provinces in France celebrate Christmas on December 25th every year. However, in the eastern and the northern regions of France, Christmas celebration usually starts on December 6th. But in order to know more about how people celebrate Christmas in France, just have a look.

Few Traditions of Christmas in France

As part of Christmas in France, all the little children keep their shoes near the fireplace because they believe that Pere Noel, the gift-giver in France, will come and keep gifts inside their shoes. They also decorate the Christmas tree beautifully with the help of small toys, fruits, nuts as well as with candy.

Christmas Decorations: In France, the houses, factories, streets, offices and shops are all beautifully decorated with the help of sapin de Noel. It is decorated beautifully with ribbons, flowers made of paper, and apples. In addition to this, the creche is filled with santons which are exhibited in houses as well as in churches. People also hang mistletoe from the top of their door at the time of Christmas because they believe that it helps in bringing good fortune all around the year.

Visiting Cathedrals during Christmas: In the cathedrals in France, Midnight Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve. It is one of the main Christmas traditions in France. All the cathedrals are beautifully lit with several candles and you can hear the sound of hymns related to Christmas as well as Christmas Carols.

Historic Christmas Mangers: You can get a glimpse of the antique mangers at the churches in Sainte-Marie d’Oloron, Chartres, Nogent-le-Rotrou, and Chaource and also in the museums located in Orleans and Marseilles.

Christmas Markets in France: Several Christmas markets are organized in different regions of France and you can do some wonderful shopping in these markets. Most of these markets start from the later part of November and continue till the year end. In these markets, you will come across Christmas shops from where you can buy different types of Christmas ornaments as well as cuckoo clocks.

Christmas Feast: After the Midnight Mass is over, all the families get together for the late-night feast called as Reveillon. However, the delicious Reveillon specialties differ from one region to another and include dishes like chicken, turkey, goose, capon and boudin blanc, which is somewhat like white pudding. This large-sized feast is enjoyed by the people at home, at a cafe, or at a restaurant that remains open throughout the night.

Special kind of Desserts: Special kind of traditional desserts are served throughout the season of Christmas in France. Some of these dessert items include La buche de Noel (a cake containing chestnuts and chocolate and shaped in the form of a log), Le pain calendeau (a type of Christmas loaf which is also given to a poor person), and La Galette des Rois (a round shapes cake).