French Christmas traditions – LeShuttle (2024)

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Christmas is all about enjoying your favourite traditions, and everyone’s are a little different. Find out how they celebrate in France!

France is only a short trip away across the Channel, but when it comes to Christmas, our traditions often seem miles apart. And depending on which part of France you’re in, you might find something other than turkey on your plate at Christmas dinner, and open presents on a different day entirely!

Let the festivities commence

Generally speaking, here in the UK Christmas is celebrated on the 25th December, and that’s when we all sit together and swap gifts. The only discrepancy tends to be whether your family opens their presents before or after Christmas dinner. Well, in North and North-Eastern France, children receive their presents much earlier in December on the 6th, which is St Nicholas’ Day.

There is an old folklore story told in France about three little children who get lost and captured by a wicked butcher, Père Fouettard. Fortunately for the kids, St Nicholas rescues them, which is how he became the patron saint of children. And so, every year on the night before the 6th December, children leave out a boot or a shoe for St Nicholas who gives out gifts, sweets and gingerbread to all the good children, and Père Fouettard leaves the naughty ones lumps of coal.

French Christmas traditions – LeShuttle (1)

Children in France leave shoes or boots out for St Nicholas to fill with gifts

Elsewhere in France, families exchange presents on Christmas Eve, which tends to be the biggest day of celebrations throughout Europe. Some families in France even wait until the 6th January, which is Epiphany or ‘Three Kings Day’, to give their gifts to each other.

Why a shoe and not a stocking?

The favourite British tradition of the Christmas stocking isn’t really a thing in France, as it’s replaced by children leaving out their shoes and boots for St Nicholas instead. Both traditions come from the same place, however. According to the story, St Nicholas threw gold coins or gold balls through the window or down the chimney (depending on the version of the story) of a needy family. They landed in the family’s shoes or stockings, and this now represented by chocolate coins in gold foil and oranges, respectively, which are traditional stocking fillers.

Everyone’s favourite meal of the year

Whether you’re a fan of sprouts or not, it’s safe to say that Christmas dinner is one of the best meals of the year. Not necessarily just for the food, but also because it’s a time when you get to sit down and enjoy spending time with your family and friends whom you might not get to see as often as you’d like. And in France, as with present-giving days, the big Christmas meal is often eaten on a different day, as well.

French Christmas traditions – LeShuttle (2)

Turkey is traditionally served stuffed with chestnuts in France

The prevailing tradition in France is for everyone to sit down together and feast on the 24th December for a long, often luxurious meal called a réveillon. This tends to start in the evening, sometimes following a day of fasting, and goes on until midnight and beyond. As well as turkey served with chestnuts, you may also find lobster, snails, and oysters on the table, and for dessert, a Bûche de Noël, which is a chocolate yule log.

All of this rich food is accompanied by fine wines and champagne for that little extra indulgence, and it’s traditional to sing carols and songs around the table. As you can imagine, Christmas dinner is a lively, merry affair in France!

What else is served at Christmas dinner?

In Provence, there is a delicious tradition of 13 desserts served at Christmas dinner, which represent Jesus and his 12 disciples. There is usually a mix of figs and dried fruit, as well as a traditional cake called the pompe à l’huile, which is bread-like in texture, and made with olive oil and flavoured with orange blossom.

French Christmas traditions – LeShuttle (3)

If you find the charm, or the fève in your slice of galettes des rois, you get the crown!

Another festive cake eaten in France is the galette des rois, or cake of kings, which is enjoyed particularly at Epiphany on the 6th January. Made of puff pastry filled with frangipane or apples, a small charm or bean called a fève is hidden somewhere inside, and if you find it in your slice you are crowned king or queen for the day!

Do you and your family fancy celebrating Christmas a little differently this year? Book your tickets with us early to get the best price on fares!

French Christmas traditions – LeShuttle (2024)

FAQs

What Christmas traditions do France have? ›

The prevailing tradition in France is for everyone to sit down together and feast on the 24th December for a long, often luxurious meal called a réveillon. This tends to start in the evening, sometimes following a day of fasting, and goes on until midnight and beyond.

What is the Christmas tradition in France Nativity? ›

Most French homes display a la crèche; a Nativity scene at the heart of the Christmas celebration. The scene's clay figurines symbolize the Holy Family, saints, the magi, and shepherds, as well as more contemporary community characters like policemen and bakers.

What do French people traditionally eat on Christmas Day? ›

Christmas Dinner

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!

What is the French Christmas shoe tradition? ›

According to tradition, on Christmas Eve children leave their shoes by the fireplace filled with carrots and treats for Père Noël's donkey, Gui (French for "Mistletoe") before they go to bed. Père Noël takes the offerings and, if the child has been good, leaves presents in their place.

What do French people call Santa? ›

Santa Claus, as in other cultures and languages, there are many ways to call Santa Claus in French, like, “Père Noël”, “Papa Noël”, “Saint Nicolas”. The most commonly used “Père Noël”.

What do French children do on Christmas? ›

French children leave their shoes out in front of the fireplace - la cheminée, or around the Christmas tree - le sapin de Noël. When they awake on Christmas Day, they hope to find that le Père Noël has visited and that the shoes (les souliers) are filled and surrounded by gifts - des cadeaux.

Do children have any Christmas traditions in France? ›

What is Christmas like in France? Forget about stockings, it's all about the shoes as each child leaves a pair of their own shoes at the foot of the Christmas tree before going to bed on Christmas Eve. This means Father Christmas will know exactly where to leave everyone's presents.

Is Christmas in France Religious? ›

Although Christmas of course has its roots in the Christian festival marking the birth of Jesus, it's common in France for people of different faiths or no faith to still celebrate the time of year by visiting family, swapping gifts and donning a Christmas jumper.

Do French send Christmas cards? ›

Are Christmas Greeting Cards Still a French Christmas Tradition? French people do send out Christmas greetings and wishes for the new year, but it's a tradition which is fading away. The thing which is popular right now is to send out an end of the year recap, often on social networks such as Facebook.

Do the French have Christmas crackers? ›

Though cracker-pioneer Tom Smith found his 19th-century inspiration in Paris (with bonbons in paper twists), crackers themselves remain virtually unknown in France.

What does Santa wear in French? ›

Père Noël, much like Father Christmas or Santa, is generally seen in France as a kindly old man with a white beard, wearing red robes with white fur lining.

What is the most popular Christmas gift in France? ›

Christmas gifts most desired by consumers in France in 2023
CharacteristicShare of respondents
Money (cash or transfer)25%
Jewelry and watches19%
Books, eBooks18%
Travel18%
9 more rows
Dec 11, 2023

How do French give gifts for Christmas? ›

Some give gifts on Christmas Eve after mass, while others give their gifts on Christmas Day. And those with real patience wait until Epiphany. If you're in Northern or Eastern France on the night of December 5th - the eve of St Nicholas' Day - you might also come across Père Fouettard, the whipping father.

What are 5 facts about Christmas in France? ›

Christmas in France Facts
  • 01Illuminated Streets.
  • 02Decorated Storefronts.
  • 03Christmas Markets.
  • 04Magical Christmas Trees.
  • 05Réveillon: A Feast of Delights.
  • 06Midnight Mass: A Sacred Tradition.
  • 07The Advent Calendar: Counting Down to Christmas.
  • 08The Nativity Scene: A Symbol of Faith.

What is France traditions? ›

The French celebrate the traditional Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter. They mark May Day, also known as Labor Day, on May 1. Victory in Europe Day on May 8 commemorates the end of hostilities in Europe in World War II. Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14.

How do France celebrate Christmas for kids? ›

What is Christmas like in France? Forget about stockings, it's all about the shoes as each child leaves a pair of their own shoes at the foot of the Christmas tree before going to bed on Christmas Eve. This means Father Christmas will know exactly where to leave everyone's presents.

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