How to celebrate Christmas in France

Christmas is one of the most special times of the year in France, and, as in much of the world, the celebrations aren't just confined to Christmas Day. Winter can be a wonderful time to spend in France, but it can also get rather cold and gloomy, and Christmas celebrations help to keep people festive and cheerful from the beginning of December well into January — sometimes even longer.

Many of these celebrations may sound familiar, but some are uniquely French, meaning Christmas in France is an experience like no other!

'Advent' refers to the coming of Christ, and in Christian tradition marks the period leading up to Christmas Day, Christ's birthday. It begins on the 1st of December, and is generally viewed as the start of the festive season.

Many children (and adults!) receive an Advent Calendar, which has 24 'windows' or 'doors' leading up to Christmas Day. For every day that passes, you get to open one of these to reveal an image or poem or, as is increasingly common, a chocolate treat.

The start of December is also when most households will begin decorating (although public decorations, including Christmas items in the shops, come as early as November). Expect to see colourful lights and plenty of mistletoe. It's also common for many households to have a crèche, which is a small model of the Nativity scene, featuring the baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, their guests and the manger in which Jesus was born. Larger crèches can often be found in town squares or gardens, and in the south west of France, actors perform crèche vivantes, which are live enactments of the Nativity scene.

Some families choose to celebrate Christmas on St. Nicholas' Day, which falls on the 6th of December. On the night before, French children put their shoes by the fireplace - if they've been good, they'll wake up to find their shoes filled with presents, or if they've been bad, a bundle of twigs. And that's not the worst of their troubles. Saint Nicholas is accompanied by a helper known as Le Père Fouettard, who punishes children who haven't behaved as well as they should have.

There is also a custom, as in many countries where Christmas is celebrated, for children to write to Father Christmas asking for presents. In 1962, however, a law was passed mandating that all children who wrote to Father Christmas must receive a postcard in return, and the tradition has carried on ever since!

The last evening of Advent is known as Christmas Eve, or Le Réveillon in France.

While the preference for most people is to open their presents on Christmas Day or St Nicholas' Day, many families also choose to open theirs on Christmas Eve (out of tradition — not just impatience!).

Many French households will display, and later burn, a bûche de Noël (Yule Log) on Christmas Eve, often pouring red wine over it to enhance the aroma of the smoke - although this shouldn't be confused with the bûche de Noël that's eaten at the end of the Le Réveillon meal.

This is the feast that takes place on Christmas Eve, and is usually the biggest meal of the Christmas season, if not the year. The tradition is to serve this before or after midnight mass, which means the Le Réveillon often carries on until the early hours of the morning. ('Réveillon, meaning waking, refers to how long you're expected to stay awake - especially if you want a slice of that bûche de Noël.)

The day after Christmas Eve is, of course, Christmas Day. This is the anniversary of Christ's birth, and is the main day of celebrations, as well as the day of gift giving for most families. The day is a national holiday, meaning nearly everyone gets the day off work. Families will often spend the day together, watching films, playing games, eating food and generally relaxing.

While New Year's isn't explicitly part of the Christmas tradition, its proximity to Christmas Day means that it is typically considered a key part of the festive season. Just think of the lyrics to the famous Christmas carol:

Je te dis joyeux Noël
Tu me dis joyeux Noël
On se dit joyeux Noël
Et aussi bonne année

At midnight the sky is explosive with fireworks, even in remote areas of the countryside, as the whole country welcomes in the new year.

A particularly French tradition around New Years is known as 'Les étrennes' (literally, 'the gifts'). This is the tradition of giving a present or a bit of money to those who provide you with a regular service, such as postmen or cleaners. While these gifts used to be given after the New Year, it's not uncommon for them to be given around Christmas time either nowadays — nor is it compulsory, although it makes for a nice gesture.

The festivities continue into the New Year, with the Epiphany, which takes place on the 6th of January. This is the anniversary of the presentation of the baby Jesus to the three kings, which is why it's known in French as the 'La Fête des Rois'. On this day, it's common across France to bake and eat a 'galette des rois', which is a pastry filled with frangipane. A 'fève', which is a small figurine, is baked into the cake, and whoever finds it is crowned 'king' (roi) or 'queen' (reine) for the day — so make sure to cut yourself a big slice!