How Christmas is celebrated around the Francophonie

Christmas is around the corner, which means all the old familiar songs, decorations and festive films are back in full force. But if you're looking to celebrate Christmas a little differently this year, then why not take inspiration from the different nations of the Francophonie? Below you'll find some examples of how Christmas is celebrated in a number of different French-speaking countries from around the world.

Like many western countries, Christmas is one of the biggest and most anticipated days of the year in France, and you can expect to hear Christmas songs (in both English and French) and see houses decked with colourful lights and decorations as early as November. The Christmas meal is known as le Réveillon, and is usually eaten on Christmas Eve, after which many families will go to church to attend midnight mass.

The Epiphany, known to the French as La Fête des Rois, which occurs on 6th January, marks the end of the Christmas celebrations. As with Christmas Eve, on this day households will typically enjoy a large dinner, finishing with the famous galette des rois, which is a delicious frangipane tart made specially for the occasion. A fève - which is a small token, often a bean or figurine - is hidden inside, and whoever finds it in their slice is declared the king for the evening!

While in much of Canada, festive celebrations resemble those you might find in other English-speaking countries, in Quebec, Christmas largely retains its French trappings. The Réveillon feast is common in households on Christmas Eve, and this is often followed by the midnight mass. Quebec boasts a number of unique traditional festive foods and drinks, such as the tourtière, a French Canadian meat pie typically eaten on the Réveillon. Then there is caribou, which takes its name from a mixture of whisky and caribou blood originally drunk by Canadian hunters. Nowadays, however, the less grisly version of this drink refers to a type of spirited mulled wine made with maple syrup.

Like Canada, Belgium is another country in which different regions speak different languages, in this case French and Flemish (not to mention a little German). While the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium shares many Christmas traditions with its neighbour, France, the country also celebrates Saint Nicholas’ Day on 6th December. The feast day is also recognised in parts of France, but the Belgians take the celebrations to a different level. Every year on this day, Father Christmas arrives on a boat to bring presents to the good children of Belgium (and if you find yourself in Antwerp or Brussels you may just catch a sight of the bearded saint).

Saint Nicholas, who was indeed a real historical figure, shouldn’t be confused with Father Christmas, however, and Christmas day - with all the presents it brings - still takes place on the 25th. Festive Belgian delicacies that are typically eaten in this period include speculoos biscuits in the shape of Saint Nicholas, with their distinctive taste of cinnamon and brown sugar, and cougnou, which is a sweet bread baked in the shape of the baby Jesus.

Chanté Nwèl, meaning ‘singing Christmas’, is one of the Christmas traditions common in the French West Indies. Throughout December, families and friends gather to eat and dance and sing, and the beating of the drums doesn’t relent for nearly a month on end. This practice has its roots as a celebration of solidarity amongst former slaves in places such as Martinique and Guadeloupe, and has become synonymous with Christmas itself.

If you’re a fan of Christmas markets, then Switzerland in December is unmissable. Snow is common, especially in the more mountainous regions, bestowing a wintry charm on the wooden stalls and baroque townhouses. At the markets you can purchase the usual trinkets, artisanal products and unique Swiss delicacies, such as magenbrot (‘stomach bread’), which are a type of glazed biscuit, and the hotpot dish known as fondue chinoise, as well as many of the country’s famous chocolates.

Haiti is famous for its lively folk dances and street parades, and Christmas in this Caribbean island is no different. If you happen to find yourself in Port-au-Prince in December, expect to see the streets festooned with decorations, including fanals, which are colourful Haitian lanterns in the shape of houses. In addition to Christmas traditions common in France, another Haitian tradition sees children fill their shoes with straw and place them under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. If they’ve behaved themselves, they’ll wake up to find that Father Christmas has replaced the straw with presents!