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!
In France, children leave out carrots and cookies in their shoes. The French make sure Santa Claus isn't hungry by leaving him treats — like biscuits — as well as carrots for the reindeer. They typically leave the goodies in their shoes and awake to find the food gone and presents in their place.
Public life on Christmas Day is generally quiet. Post offices, banks, stores, restaurants, cafés and other businesses are closed. Many people in France put up a Christmas tree, visit a special church service, eat an elaborate meal and open gifts on Christmas Eve.
Le Réveillon is a traditional late-night feast or party held when families return from la Messe de Minuit (Midnight Mass) on Christmas Eve. While the food tradition varies from region to region, the meal is full of lavish delicacies including oysters, foie gras, escargot, and roasted fowl.
Though cracker-pioneer Tom Smith found his 19th-century inspiration in Paris (with bonbons in paper twists), crackers themselves remain virtually unknown in France.
Sending Christmas cards is popular in many Anglo countries but it's not a common custom in France. While it's nice to get a hand-written card in the mail, I think many people just send them out because it's considered a social faux-pas if you don't.
According to internationalliving website the French enjoy various foods, including meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, bread, cheeses, and wine. In addition, there are many regional specialties throughout France, from the cassoulet in the southwest to bouillabaisse on the Mediterranean coast.
What is the most popular food in France for Christmas?
The most traditional for Christmas is probably duck in orange sauce, duck breast fillet, and duck confit. Foie gras can also be served hot; it is called stir-fried foie gras. It is not something that people often cook on Christmas because it requires particular expertise, but it can be found in restaurant menus.
Traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables. Other types of poultry, roast beef, or ham, are also used. Pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, Christmas pudding, or fruitcake are staples for dessert.
French families often attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, followed by a festive meal called “Réveillon.” Christmas Day is usually spent exchanging gifts and enjoying a special meal with family.
Santa Claus is 'Père Noël' in France, and on Christmas Eve, he travels around the world handing out presents. The tradition used to be for French children to fill their shoes with carrots for Père Noël's donkey and put them by the fireplace, but today that has been replaced with the Christmas tree.
Like in most Westernised countries, the French put their tree up at the beginning of the season – whenever they choose to celebrate – and they will lay the gifts donated by Père Noël under the tree.
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.
Although the Père Noël largely resembles this image, there are a few differences that make him French – and no, it's not because he walks around with a baguette and cigarette in hand, nor does he say “Oh là là” instead of “Ho ho ho”. Here are a few reasons why the French Santa Claus is different.
In France, the name for Santa is simply Père Noël, which translates to Father Christmas. You might also hear the little ones calling him Papa Noël, but it all amounts to the same thing.
1. Crème brûlée. This custard based dessert is topped with a layer of crunchy caramel. The dessert is popular all over the world, but it originated in France, making it a must-try for anyone who's traveling through.
Where do French children put their shoes to receive presents?
French children put thier shoes in front of the fire place, in hopes that Pere Noel (Papa Noel) will fill them with gifts. Candy, fruits, nuts, and small toys are hung on the tree over night.
That said, the traditional French Christmas dessert, la bûche de Noël or Yule log, is a glorious concoction of chocolate, cream and sponge, one I would personally choose over a Christmas pudding, which – dense as it is – can be akin to being hit in the stomach by a canonball.
