france christmas
TRANSCRIPT
C’est Noël!
C’est le premier décembre!
C’est le premier décembre!Children take out their advent calendars!Traditionally, children create their own calendar or have a handcrafted one that they re-use every year, and fill with quality sweets and chocolates.
Every town and city put huge efforts in decorating main roads and streets with Christmas lights!
People like to go out in town to look at the decorations and window displays!
Families stroll in the streets and buy treats such as hot chestnuts, pretzels, mulled wine, ginger bread and chocolates!There is a huge tradition of master chocolatiers in France and they have mouth-watering window displays!
In North and Eastern France, Christmas markets open their doors. The most famous one is in Strasbourg, in Eastern France!
C’est le six décembre!
In Eastern France, we celebrate Saint Nicolas, the St Patron of Lorraine. Children leave their shoes out by the chimney and St Nicolas leaves an orange, ginger bread and a small present to children who have been good. Le Père Fouettard – The whip man – delivers a whip and coal to naughty children!
C’est le six décembre!
The city of Nancy organises a two-day celebration with processions, floats, street performers, bands and acrobatic shows, as well as one of the most spectacular fireworks show in France, always on the Place Stanislas, a huge town square where hundreds of thousands of people gather to watch!
C’est le huit décembre!
C’est le huit décembre!The city of Lyon celebrate la fête des lumières!People display candles on their window sills and the town puts on magnificient light displays!
Les crèchesNativity scenesIt is a tradition to
collect little terracotta characters for homes nativity displays – they are called santons and are hand-crafted in the South of France.
Towns, cities and villages also put on a public nativity scene!Some are very creative, and modern!
C’est le vingt-quatre décembre!
On Christmas Eve, shops open until about 7pm and everyone rushes out of work to buy last minute presents and fresh food for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. C’est le
vingt-quatre
décembre!
C’est le vingt-quatre décembre!People gather in families around the Christmas tree for le réveillon – Christmas Eve dinner!They eat seafood, followed by meat, and, preceded by many different starters, such as salmon and foie gras.
Traditionally on Christmas eve, there are a variety of desserts like dried and exotic fruits, nuts, biscuits, marzipan and chocolates, and the Christmas yule log.
La bûche de Noël
Les Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois sing on TV.
La Messe de Minuit:Some people go to church for Midnight Mass after Christmas Eve dinner.At midnight, we sing ‘Il est né le divin enfant’.
Some children get their presents on Christmas Eve and others on Christmas Day.
C’est le vingt-cinq décembre!
Joyeux Noël!
On Christmas Day, families share another big meal. It usually lasts all afternoon! Traditionally people eat turkey or another poultry with chestnuts.
C’est le trente-et-un décembre!
There are fireworks display around major monuments in Paris. The most spectacular is near the Eiffel Tower!
Bonne Année!
At the stroke of midnight the Eiffel Tower starts twinkling!It takes 20,000 light bulbs to light it up!
C’est le
trente-et-un
décembre!
People celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, or at the restaurant, and other venues: It is another big meal, followed by some dancing!
C’est le premier janvier!
Bonne Année!
On January the first, people visit families and friends to wish each other happy new year!
French people don’t give Christmas cards, butin January, they send friends, families and colleagues cards to wish them a happy new year!
C’est le six janvier!
La Fête des rois!
La galette des rois, is a frangipane (almond paste) filled pie traditionally eaten in Northern France.
La couronne des rois (South)
On the closest Sunday to 6 January, we eat a special cake to celebrate the arrival of the wise men!
La galette des rois has a little terracotta character called, une fève. The person who finds it in its slice of pie, is crowned the king or queen for the day!
The game
they play (Quiz)
Les réponses
On what date do we celebrate St Nicolas?
1
6 December
Which French city is renowned for its
Christmas Market?
2
Strasbourg
What happens in the city of Lyon on 8
December?
3
The festival of lights – la fête des
lumières.
What days do French children open their
presents?
4
6 / 24 / 25 December
Name three desserts eaten for Christmas
in France.
5
Nuts / dried fruits / exotic fruits /
marzipan / chocolate / yule log
Shops are closed on 24 December.True or False?
6
False
What is a typical dish eaten at
Christmas in France?
7
Turkey with chestnutsSeafoodSalmonCheese
How many light bulbs does it take to
make the Eiffel Tower twinkle?
8
20,000
True or False?The French don’t send Christmas
cards?
9
True. They send new year greetings!
What can you be for the day on 6 January if you find ‘une fève’ in
your pie ?
10
The king or queen.
Joyeux NoëlEt
Bonnes vacances!