FRENCH CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS & VOCABULARY | How The French Celebrate Christmas

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  • čas přidán 4. 08. 2024
  • How do French people celebrate Christmas? Let's find out!
    👉 TRY LINGODA 7 DAYS FREE: bit.ly/Rosie_LingodaDecember
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    Let's talk French Christmas! French Christmas vocabulary, French Christmas traditions, French Christmas facts - all about how French people celebrate Christmas. Ho ho ho!
    AS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO:
    20 French Brands YOU Pronounce Wrong (commonly mispronounced French Brands): • 20 French Brands YOU P...
    French Christmas song Vive Le Vent (Jingle Bells equivalent): • Vive le vent d'hiver (...
    Some key French Christmas vocabulary:
    Noël - Christmas
    La veille de Noël - Christmas Eve
    Le jour de Noël - Christmas day
    Passer Noël en famille - to spend Christmas with your family
    Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas
    Joyeuses fêtes de fin d’année - Happy Holidays
    Une crèche - a manger (the house)
    Un santon - typical French manger clay figurine made in Provence
    Un sapin de Noël - Christmas tree (note we don’t use “un arbre” but “un sapin” which is ‘a fir tree’)
    Obviously when I'm thinking about Christmas in France, it is pretty much the opposite of what we experience in NZ, meaning I have picked up on the little things they do differently!
    If you've been wondering what is Christmas like in France, what do they eat for the traditional french Christmas dinner, what are some of the common Christmas in France traditions, how do they celebrate Christmas in France, or what is Christmas in France like, then this video is for you! I'll be dishing some Christmas in France facts all for you!
    I would love to learn more about Christmas in France vs America, so if you are from the USA let me know below. And if you're French, share your experiences!
    Merry Christmas and bonne fêtes everyone!
    Rosie
    #christmas #frenchchristmas #christmasfrance
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Komentáře • 86

  • @jeremy6398
    @jeremy6398 Před 3 lety +7

    In my family (South of France too), we actually have two to three starters (foie gras, oysters and smoked salmon), then a fish (langoustes usually) and a bird (chapon, which is a neutered rooster).

  • @rebekahpollock8627
    @rebekahpollock8627 Před 3 lety +14

    How do you know someone is making a dad joke? It's apparent! (a parent) :D Joyeux Noel Rosie!

  • @RogerDidierM.
    @RogerDidierM. Před 3 lety +25

    Le Père Fouettard est associé à la tradition de Saint-Nicolas (6 décembre). Il est populaire dans le Nord et l'Est de la France ainsi que la Belgique et de nombreux pays du Nord de l'Europe. Joyeux Noël à tous.

    • @mgparis
      @mgparis Před 3 lety +2

      Et en Italie, c'est la Befana, une vieille sorcière qui distribue du charbon aux enfants pas sages :)

  • @SamFournier
    @SamFournier Před 3 lety +19

    It’s my first year in France, I’m located in Aix-en-Provence and I fell in love with the Christmas Markets and the Santons that they sell. I can’t wait to start my own collection of Santons.

    • @camembertdalembert6323
      @camembertdalembert6323 Před 3 lety +4

      please try to avoid chinese-made santons, choose the ones made locally, they are the real tradition.

    • @SamFournier
      @SamFournier Před 3 lety +4

      @@camembertdalembert6323 I definitely will be purchasing them from local Santonniers! Thanks 😊

    • @rhondacrosswhite8048
      @rhondacrosswhite8048 Před 3 lety +1

      Yes! I live in the Southern US and we often have hot Christmas Day. I love Christmas in France. As you mentioned, the markets, santons and cold weather.

  • @nathalialima4465
    @nathalialima4465 Před 3 lety +4

    I'm Brazilian and for us Christmas also happens during the summer. I'm very happy to discover that you guys in New Zealand also put the "traditional" Christmas decorations on the tree even though it doesn't make any sense 😂

  • @tesfaldetokubab528
    @tesfaldetokubab528 Před 3 lety +2

    Bon NÖEL et bonnes fêtes tous le monde 2021

  • @MinbadTheFourth
    @MinbadTheFourth Před 3 lety +8

    In the end, the whipper is just a bogey man and all the kids, naughty or nice, get their presents. He was just invented so they don't take them for granted. No one ever got whipped. Ever.

    • @HopeGardner3amed
      @HopeGardner3amed Před 3 lety

      In the USA we have/had a similar concept (coal if your bad or no presents in general due to bad behavior in more modern times Santa will skip your house). As far as I know that doesn't really happen due to bad behavior, as an adult I know that it may be due to poverty. So coal works better I think.
      I don't think many kids would ask for things way out of price range, though. We learned what our parent's could afford based on what we were exposed to at the megastore subconsciously.

  • @Jcrams
    @Jcrams Před 3 lety +2

    My first year in France I was totally devastated by the lack of Christmas frenzy - no crazy office party, no Christmas cards, no glittery dresses from mid-November...
    But actually I quite like the fact that there is more of a focus on the new year and I really like the cartes de vœux and the whole focus on positivity for the coming year.
    I generally find that in the UK it is just manic for 6 weeks and then like a collective funeral from Jan 2, whereas in France it's much more subdued but there is general festive cheer right throughout les fêtes and into January.... it's not so bad!

  • @zonzzonz4764
    @zonzzonz4764 Před 3 lety +11

    It's funny, for me the parents talk about Pere Fouettard when the children don't behave well wether its Christmas or not (I didn't know it was linked to chirstmas time 🌲⭐)

    • @shatterquartz
      @shatterquartz Před 3 lety +1

      The Père Fouettard is actually a watered-down version of a folk character from the Alpine regions, namely Krampus, a horrible goat-like demon. Then there's "Black Pete", the Dutch version, which is also problematic for a different reason, since he is customarily played by a white performer in blackface.

    • @gerardpetitpas2618
      @gerardpetitpas2618 Před 3 lety +1

      Je suis de l'Est de la France, c'est l'endroit où le Pére Noêl passe aux deuxième plan car c'est une fête Paîenne. Chez bous c'est SAINT NICOLAS le seul vrai pére noêl. Il est toujours accompagné du père Fouettard pour les enfants qui ne sont pas sages.

    • @thierryf67
      @thierryf67 Před 3 lety +1

      je crois que dans l'Est il est nommé Hans Trapp. it's an alteration of a real character in the 15th century : the Knight Hans von Trotha... who was so famous, that every parents said to their child, that he'll come to punish the if they aren't nice.

  • @andaydeniz
    @andaydeniz Před 3 lety +1

    Thanks so much for this video. I always want to learn more about the French culture, appreciated!!

  • @vividesiles3763
    @vividesiles3763 Před 3 lety +6

    I celebrate xmasin Guadeloupe (French Island in the Caribbean) and its of course totally different than main France. We eat rice and beans, a lot of vegetables, Not turkey but pig, and a lot of pastries. It's very good, and like in New Zealand it's very hot right now. But we do have the santons and we go to the mass

  • @carabatcarabat4913
    @carabatcarabat4913 Před 3 lety +6

    "C'était la fille du Père Noël
    ,
    J'étais le fils du Père Fouettard
    ,
    Elle s'appelait Rosie Noël
    Je m'appelais Jean Balthazar."
    czcams.com/video/o_DlemY_PDk/video.html

  • @angiewalton1
    @angiewalton1 Před 3 lety +1

    The Christmas Carols were VERY Helpful and fun! 🙏🏼 THANK You! Merry Christmas! 🎄🎁

  • @cquinnth
    @cquinnth Před 3 lety

    Lovely Christmas to you!

  • @divineangelic2727
    @divineangelic2727 Před 2 lety

    Hi Rosie. Oh how wonderful warm weather and beach I love it. No hate cold snow etc enjoy your NZ

  • @aidanclarke6106
    @aidanclarke6106 Před 3 lety +9

    In Alsace, we also celebrate St Nicolas (with the whipping father) on Dec 6, whose name later became Santa Claus in the USA.

    • @aidanclarke6106
      @aidanclarke6106 Před 3 lety +1

      @@NotEvenFrench - Originally, St Nicolas was the one to bring gifts for the nice kids. Nowadays, we traditionally have a goûter with hot chocolate, clémentines and a "männele" (literally little man), a small man-shaped brioche prepared by bakers for this occasion.

    • @lyneka
      @lyneka Před 3 lety

      @@NotEvenFrench I was born near the german border, and as in Germany we used to receive presents on dec 6th... But on 24th also... 😁 That's the positive side to live near a border : you enjoy both cultures... 😆

  • @mariebambelle7361
    @mariebambelle7361 Před 3 lety +3

    We do not have real Christmas Carols but we do have one popular song which is "Petit Papa Noël" and it says "Petit Papa Noël, quand tu descendras du ciel, avec tes jouets par milliers, n'oublie pas mon petit soulier". Which means : "Little Father Christmas, when you will go down from the sky with thousand of presents, don't forget my little shoe". So yeah, the "shoe under the tree" thing.

  • @dipikasharma8558
    @dipikasharma8558 Před 3 lety +1

    Merry Christmas Rosy 🙂

  • @chanelmone4721
    @chanelmone4721 Před 3 lety

    Talking about French Christmas music you brought me back to when I was working for L’Occatine and although it was in the U.S. they still would have us play French Christmas music. I remember having jingle bells in French in my head and I never heard any French music before I working there.

  • @grill38
    @grill38 Před 3 lety +22

    Quand mon petit neveu de 3 ans a vu la crèche de Noël de ma mère, il lui a dit "elle est jolie ta ferme mamie"! 2 heures plus tard il avait caché le petit Jésus quelque part dans la maison et ajouté un bébé T-Rex à la place. Maintenant le boeuf et les moutons ont disparu il reste juste les santons, un dinosaure, un ours et une famille de lions dorénavant ☺

    • @dorinda4891
      @dorinda4891 Před 3 lety +2

      Maintenant votre crèche est un zoo ! 😄

    • @grill38
      @grill38 Před 3 lety +4

      @@dorinda4891 ahah oui !
      Espérons que Jésus revienne pour le 25 lol

  • @stacyoneill4218
    @stacyoneill4218 Před 3 lety +1

    Father Spanker! Ooh la la!!!!

  • @katego370
    @katego370 Před 3 lety +4

    I don't know what the role of Père Fouettard is nowadays in France but in Belgium, he's not a bad guy, he's a helper of Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas is an old grey man and so he needs helpers to help him do his job. It can be one helper or more. A Père Fouettard, or "Piet" in Dutch, is a funny character that makes kids laugh and helps the old Saint Nicholas. He's basically the friend of the kids. In Belgium, we have Saint Nickolas on the 6th of December with the shoe and a present and candy but we usually have presents on Christmas too. Then, it's just gifts from the people you love to you, no shoe, no candy so therefore no candy canes in the tree either.

    • @niennariel2905
      @niennariel2905 Před 3 lety +1

      Nowadays in Lorraine (East France) le Père Fouettard is a man who is with Saint Nicolas, and his face is covered by coal. It’s a bad guy who punish the children who are not wise. For us, he is the butcher of the 3 children that Saint Nicolas had resurrected. He is really scary for the children !

    • @katego370
      @katego370 Před 3 lety +1

      @@niennariel2905 Wow! That's funny how it's the same guy who has a completely opposite role compare to a neighboring country.

    • @jud.peyronnet
      @jud.peyronnet Před 3 lety

      I was scared of the pere fouettard for so many years 😳

  • @ROR0mancer
    @ROR0mancer Před 3 lety +4

    I just finished my lingoda Sprint in french😁 Thanks for sharing it. I had a great experience.

    • @ROR0mancer
      @ROR0mancer Před 3 lety

      I am very pleased with the progress I have made in the last three months. It's definitely worth it. ☺️

  • @cultureacademy7641
    @cultureacademy7641 Před 3 lety +1

    Well observed, Rosie, and of course you cannot miss the mailmen, firemen, carbage collectors ... coming around and wishing you a Merry Christmas and of course bringing you their calendar and expecting .......! Well, Joyeux Noël!

  • @geraldramsey7362
    @geraldramsey7362 Před 3 lety +1

    Bonne fête! Not really related to the topic at hand but I just finished a super sprint of lingoda and it was awesome. And I’ve been in France for a couple months finally putting the stuff I learned in your videos to use. Quick question: were you working in Aulnay-sous-Bois when you were in Paris?

  • @cherls15
    @cherls15 Před 3 lety +2

    Hi Rosie, just have to say that your hair looks so beautiful here! You should keep this pretty style 👌

    • @cherls15
      @cherls15 Před 3 lety +1

      @@NotEvenFrench you're welcome 😊

  • @susanreissig536
    @susanreissig536 Před 3 lety +1

    Oh yeah you just mention my place Strasbourg,yes Strasbourg the Christmas capital in Europe,but unfortunately we don't have Christmas market this time,so sad cause of the pandemic...new subscriber here..❤️️❤️️

  • @sams3015
    @sams3015 Před 3 lety +1

    I was in Denmark last Christmas with my then bf family and wow it was so much a big occasion than here in Ireland. I’d love to see a French Christmas (though I was once in Colmar for Christmas markets) and even an Australian or NZ Christmas. My aunt lives in Brisbane so I grew up hearing all about my cousins having barbie on the beach (I think they done it twice ever, we thought it was every year).

  • @faresadel2083
    @faresadel2083 Před 3 lety

    Je suis Fares Adel d'Egypte chaque année et tu vas bien😍😍😍🎅🎅🎄🎄🎄🎆🎈🎈

  • @dorinda4891
    @dorinda4891 Před 3 lety

    Joyeux Noël et bonne année à tous les monde! 🖖

  • @theYogachannel0035
    @theYogachannel0035 Před 3 lety +1

    Enjoyed your video wishing you a very Merry Christmas like 410 and hug from your new friends in France

  • @cmolodiets
    @cmolodiets Před 3 lety +1

    Pour la nouvelle année il faut s’embrasser sous le gui. Joyeux noël a tous.

  • @quoniam426
    @quoniam426 Před 3 lety +2

    Cantons figurines can be in various sizes, very tiny to very big (and thus very expansive). My mum had one very tiny size set of figurines with so tiny ducklings that I was afraid to lose one of them when I was a child. Each year, my mum bought more cantons so the créche would expand every Christmas. Over the years, the little village got a windmill, a stable, even a house that we bought in the Lipari islands between Sicily and Italy, not the same style but we found it funny to add it nonetheless. Many characters were also added over the years, mostly animals.
    My Godmother on the other hand had a very big characters set of painted tissue, Italian made figurines. Very fragile but very classic like a 17th Century painting style.

  • @guillaumejeremia8779
    @guillaumejeremia8779 Před 3 lety +5

    In Europe Saint-Nicolas and Father Xmas are distinct (the latter coming from U.S. culture). Children can sit on St-Nic's knees around December 6 un shopping malls while they're not likely to ever see Father Xmas who operates at night and is more a imaginery character.

  • @elaphore878
    @elaphore878 Před 3 lety +8

    Traditionally in Lyon papillotes (they come from here) don't have silly jokes in it you will rather see little citations or proverbs they litteraly contain our wisdom

  • @robertcloutier4633
    @robertcloutier4633 Před 3 lety +3

    Manger scenes were the first action figure collectibles...Jesus Christ did I think of that?

  • @susanbartone1347
    @susanbartone1347 Před 3 lety +1

    My French (female) penpal lives in Tarascon which is near Avignon! (I think. I have never been to France!)

  • @mariebambelle7361
    @mariebambelle7361 Před 3 lety +1

    Oh I have the exact same santons as you have ! We've got sixty of them. Yeah we're quite insane...

    • @mariebambelle7361
      @mariebambelle7361 Před 3 lety

      Yes 60 ! (Around 40 "people" and a lot of sheeps and other animals)

  • @petitespatule
    @petitespatule Před 3 lety +2

    Love this video! Makes me excited to have another French Christmas this year with my belle famille. We also have tons of cheese options before the Bûche de Noël. Our Christmas meal could last for 5 hours or more! Is this similar with your French family? :)

    • @lyneka
      @lyneka Před 3 lety +2

      All our "family meals" (I mean with the family we dont see a lot) last at least 3 hours... But for Christmas it is worst... From noon to 5 or 6pm... 😱😱 And it is totally common here !

    • @petitespatule
      @petitespatule Před 3 lety +1

      @@lyneka Same! They really know how to unwind and enjoy their meals with great conversation. I love it and I am getting used to it :)

    • @petitespatule
      @petitespatule Před 3 lety

      @@NotEvenFrench They are great! Good wine + good cheese... can't wait for Christmas already :) Can you guys easily buy French cheeses there in NZ?

  • @d.e.s4432
    @d.e.s4432 Před 3 lety +1

    Do French kids celebrate St. Nicholas's Day? December 6th if I recall . . . you put your shoes out and get candies/treats of some kind. I think it's fairly common in Catholic circles. I was curious since you said they essentially do that for Xmas Eve.

  • @hztm
    @hztm Před 3 lety +3

    Actually, there is one French christmas song hit. It's "Petit papa Noël" by Tino Rossi in... 1946 ! czcams.com/video/WQushjP2Wqk/video.html
    On papillotes, you ALWAYS have one and a half bad joke (or it can be a proverb too) because the paper is cut at the wrong place. I don't know why because, there is enough paper to have two jokes !

  • @IceNixie0102
    @IceNixie0102 Před 3 lety

    So Père Fouettard is effectively the same as Krampus. He is lesser known, but very common throughout Europe and somewhat in the US. I'm surprised that he hasn't made it to NZ.

  • @midom9143
    @midom9143 Před 3 lety +4

    le père fouettard est plus lié à St Nicolas fétes du 6 décembre, tradition de l'est de la France si je fais pas erreur..

    • @lyneka
      @lyneka Před 3 lety +1

      Yes, he has nothing to do with Christmas but with St Nicolas (celebrated on 6th of december). Santa Klaus, which is the character who inspired the red santa klaus that we celebrate nowadays. Actually the name Santa Claus come from Santa Niklaus (Nicolas in French)..

  • @melodiousramblings8470

    Not the metal gear solid alert sound effect!?

  • @mtraube
    @mtraube Před 3 lety +1

    Did I spot a few organ pipes next to the crèche??

  • @yoch5383
    @yoch5383 Před 3 lety

    père fouetard is more saint nicolas thing especially in Belgium we don't really celebrate chrismas but more saint nicolas

  • @ysbel
    @ysbel Před 3 lety +3

    No French Christmas carols? What about and the original O Holy Night? I believe in French it’s called

    • @mgparis
      @mgparis Před 3 lety +2

      and also "Les anges dans nos campagnes", "Entre le boeuf et l'âne gris"...

    • @mgparis
      @mgparis Před 3 lety +2

      and "Mon beau sapin" (not a religious one)

  • @dami1bourd1
    @dami1bourd1 Před 3 lety +1

    Just one anecdote about Saint Nicolas ( good cop) & the père fouettard ( bad cop) going hand in hand on the 6th of December: my father told me that he was very impressed when he first saw them coming to his home as a kid (living in the East of France, close to Switzerland), and It's understandable when you see the pics and accessories of the guys playing these characters back then:
    fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Nicolas_(f%C3%AAte)
    (and yep, Saint Nicolas translates into Sankt Nikolaus in German, which makes the origin of "Santa Claus" quite obvious ^_^¨)

  • @OptLab
    @OptLab Před 3 lety +1

    It"s Bûche du noël (like truc, flûte), not Bush lol. Pretty sure champaign is not so popular for Christmas, because it does not fit with the humble night of Jesus' birth. Lots of white wines with volailles and fruits de mer, some red wines. Interesting video, thanks.

  • @brigittaglover9913
    @brigittaglover9913 Před 3 lety

    Ooh I wanna roast a chestnut

  • @CarstenReg
    @CarstenReg Před 3 lety

    who discovered with me the shoes thing (im french)

    • @sonia75010
      @sonia75010 Před 3 lety +1

      Ce sont les chaussons au pied du sapin pour savoir où déposer les cadeaux, il est vrai c'est pas ds toutes les familles

    • @mariebambelle7361
      @mariebambelle7361 Před 3 lety +2

      Ah si, nous on sort bien tous une chaussure qu'on pose sous le sapin ("n'oublie pas mon petit soulier" dit la chanson du Petit Papa Noël! ). Il n'y a généralement pas de cadeaux déposés dedans mais les cadeaux sont déposés tout prêt de la chaussures ou sous celle-ci.

  • @larabelle78
    @larabelle78 Před 3 lety +2

    For the "Père Fouettard", you took an image of "Zwarte Piet" instead, which is from the Netherlands... Beware they don't look the same and don't have the same origin, and there is no controversy against Père Fouettard...

  • @lingeringquestions519
    @lingeringquestions519 Před 3 lety

    I like that spanking in New Zealand is illegal. I get that some people are not misusing Bible passages or that they are not bloodthirsty or with an untreated/poorly treated mental illness that can make them abusive when they do something like swatting a child's hand or something that doesn't involve touching a kid's bottom or using something like electrical wires (I couldn't live with that and it sounds dangerous.)
    I feel like spanking is very sexualized, so it just doesn't seem safe for a kid's punishment. I even got told by a family member that believed in hitting that hitting a kid's butt was wrong because of that.

    • @Elfian66
      @Elfian66 Před 3 lety

      It's funny because my (french) parents always told me there's a huge difference between slaping a kid on his/her face, which is a proof of lack of self-control (because it is easy and violent), and spanking, which is more mesurate and give the possibility to adults to proportion gestures. I think it's just a matter of perception. I don't think there's a sexual dimension in it (I could even say it's because it is a punishment that certain people like that on a sexual base). But anyway spanking is illegal now in France too. I don't think it would avoid violent parents to beat their children, but maybe it will force majority to think about the nécessity of the gesture before they would do (it's a very controversial question here).

  • @shatterquartz
    @shatterquartz Před 3 lety +1

    What annoys me is the habit that department stores have of playing vintage American Christmas songs. It's simultaneously corny and derivative. Fortunately, as you mention, they only start doing so in December. I hope we never import the American way of starting the Christmas season two months early.

  • @tyson7687
    @tyson7687 Před 3 lety

    Please tell me they don't do black face 0_0

    • @kathrynparas8143
      @kathrynparas8143 Před 3 lety

      I was thinking the same thing.

    • @larabelle78
      @larabelle78 Před 3 lety

      I wrote a comment about it, I think she mistook an image of Zwarte Piet (from the Netherlands) instead of one of Père Fouettard...