Christmas time in France

During our last classes we've been talking about Christmas traditions celebrated in France. In some parts of France, Christmas comes early when Father Christmas, le Père Noël, brings small gifts and sweets for children on December 6th, the feast day of Saint-Nicolas (celebrated in the North and Northeast). Saint-Nicolas has a partner, le Père Fouettard, Father Spanker, whose job it is to decide whether children have been good or bad and 'reward' bad children with a spanking!

 In other parts of the country, children place their shoes by the fire and wake up on Christmas Day to find them filled with presents from le Père Noël and fruit, nuts and small toys hanging on the tree. Christmas Day is mainly a day of celebration for children. After Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve (which is attended by fewer and fewer nowadays) people gather at home or in a restaurant for a feast called le réveillon.

This usually consists of oysters, les huîtres, snails, les escargots, seafood, les fruits de mer, smoked salmon, saumon fumé or le caviaras a starter, followed by goose, l'oie, or some other roasted bird for the main course, all washed down with wine, le vin or le champagne.

A French Carol - Un Chant de Noël Français

Vive le Vent - Jingle Bells

Vive le vent, vive le vent, vive le vent d'hiver 

Qui s'en va, sifflant, soufflant 

Dans les grands sapins verts, Oh ! 

Vive le temps, vive le temps, vive le temps d'hiver 

Qui rappelle aux vieux enfants 

Leurs souvenirs d'hier !

Sur le long chemin

Tout blanc de neige blanche 

Un vieux monsieur s'avance

Avec sa canne dans la main

Et tout là-haut le vent

Qui siffle dans les branches 

Lui souffle la romance qu'il chantait petit enfant

Vive le vent - song