Hi from the Parisian region! Since it’s the end of December I wanted to talk to you about holidays but more precisely winter celebrations. In France, Christmas is celebrated by almost everyone. Our way of celebrating is inspired by many other countries such as the United States or Germany. Even though our houses are not as well decorated as in the United States, the stores and streets are illuminated by all the Christmas lights. As for the food, we eat a lot of seafood and exotic fruits. We have a special cake called “bûche.” This dessert has the shape of a log and there are many flavours but it is usually made with chocolate. As for the celebration of Christmas, we receive the gifts on the 25th but we might celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, depending on the family.
Another of our important holidays is New Year’s Eve. Every year (apart from these pandemic times) there is a New Year’s Eve party on the Champs Élysées in Paris. People party together even though they don’t know each other and all the public transport is free for the night.
We also have less important celebrations such as Easter where the Easter Bells leave hidden chocolates for the little children. We also celebrate Halloween but not like in the United States. Halloween is no big deal here but we still celebrate it with our friends.
- Ines Latrille - France (near Paris)