1) Christmas traditions in France include decorating streets with lights, visiting Christmas markets, eating special foods like chestnuts and mulled wine, and celebrating religious holidays like Saint Nicholas Day and Christmas Eve. 2) On Christmas Eve, families have a special dinner called le réveillon before opening presents, and on Christmas Day they have another large meal that usually lasts all afternoon. 3) Traditions continue into January, like sending New Year's cards instead of Christmas cards, and eating a special cake called la galette des rois that sometimes contains a figurine making the finder the "king" or "queen" for the day.

1. C’est
Noël!

2. C’est le premier décembre!

3. C’est le premier
décembre!
Children take out their advent
calendars!
Traditionally, children create
their own calendar or have a
handcrafted one that they re-
use every year, and fill with
quality sweets and chocolates.

4. Every town and city put huge efforts in
decorating main roads and streets with
Christmas lights!

5. People like to go out in town to look at the decorations and window
displays!

6. Families stroll in the
streets and buy treats such
as hot chestnuts, pretzels,
mulled wine, ginger bread
and chocolates!
There is a huge tradition of
master chocolatiers in
France and they have
mouth-watering window
displays!

7. In North and Eastern France, Christmas markets open their
doors. The most famous one is in Strasbourg, in Eastern
France!

8. C’est le six décembre!

9. In Eastern France, we celebrate
Saint Nicolas, the St Patron of
Lorraine.
Children leave their shoes out by
the chimney and St Nicolas
leaves an orange, ginger bread
and a small present to children
who have been good.
Le Père Fouettard – The whip
man – delivers a whip and coal
to naughty children!
C’est le six décembre!

10. The city of Nancy organises a two-day celebration with
processions, floats, street performers, bands and acrobatic
shows, as well as one of the most spectacular fireworks show in
France, always on the Place Stanislas, a huge town square
where hundreds of thousands of people gather to watch!

11. C’est le huit décembre!

12. C’est le huit décembre!
The city of Lyon celebrate la fête des lumières!
People display candles on their window sills
and the town puts on magnificient light
displays!

13. Les crèches
Nativity scenes
It is a tradition to collect little terracotta
characters for homes nativity displays –
they are called santons and are hand-
crafted in the South of France.
Towns, cities and villages also put
on a public nativity scene!
Some are very creative, and
modern!

14. C’est le vingt-quatre décembre!

15. On Christmas Eve, shops open until
about 7pm and everyone rushes out of
work to buy last minute presents and
fresh food for Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day.
C’est le
vingt-
quatre
décembre!

16. C’est le vingt-quatre décembre!
People gather in families around the Christmas
tree for le réveillon – Christmas Eve dinner!
They eat seafood, followed by meat, and,
preceded by many different starters, such as
salmon and foie gras.

17. Traditionally on Christmas eve, there are a variety of
desserts like dried and exotic fruits, nuts, biscuits,
marzipan and chocolates, and the Christmas yule
log.
La bûche de Noël

18. Les Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois
sing on TV.
La Messe de Minuit:
Some people go to church
for Midnight Mass after
Christmas Eve dinner.
At midnight, we sing ‘Il est
né le divin enfant’.

19. Some children get their
presents on Christmas Eve
and others on Christmas
Day.

20. C’est le vingt-cinq décembre!
Joyeux Noël!

21. On Christmas Day, families share another big meal. It
usually lasts all afternoon! Traditionally people eat
turkey or another poultry with chestnuts.

22. C’est le trente-et-un décembre!

23. There are fireworks display around major
monuments in Paris. The most spectacular is near
the Eiffel Tower!
Bonne Année!
At the stroke of
midnight the
Eiffel Tower
starts twinkling!
It takes 20,000
light bulbs to
light it up!
C’est le
trente-et-un
décembre!
People celebrate New Year’s Eve at home,
or at the restaurant, and other venues: It
is another big meal, followed by some

24. C’est le premier janvier!
Bonne
Année!

25. On January the first, people visit families and
friends to wish each other happy new year!

26. French people don’t give Christmas cards, but
in January, they send friends, families and colleagues
cards to wish them a happy new year!

27. C’est le six janvier!
La Fête des rois!

28. La galette des rois, is a
frangipane (almond
paste) filled pie
traditionally eaten in La couronne des rois (South)
On the closest Sunday to 6
January, we eat a special
cake to celebrate the arrival
of the wise men!

29. La galette des
rois has a little
terracotta
character called,
une fève. The
person who finds
it in its slice of
pie, is crowned
the king or queen

30. The game
they play
(Quiz)

31. Les
réponses

32. On what date do we
celebrate St Nicolas?
1
6 December

33. Which French city is
renowned for its
Christmas Market?
2
Strasbourg

34. What happens in the
city of Lyon on 8
December?
3
The festival of lights –
la fête des lumières.

35. What days do French
children open their
presents?
4
6 / 24 / 25 December

36. Name three desserts
eaten for Christmas in
France.
5
Nuts / dried fruits /
exotic fruits / marzipan
/ chocolate / yule log

37. Shops are closed on 24
December.
True or False?
6
False

38. What is a typical dish
eaten at Christmas in
France?
7
Turkey with chestnuts
Seafood
Salmon
Cheese

39. How many light bulbs
does it take to make
the Eiffel Tower
twinkle?
8
20,000

40. True or False?
The French don’t send
Christmas cards?
9
True. They send new year
greetings!

41. What can you be for the
day on 6 January if you
find ‘une fève’ in your pie
?
10
The king or queen.

42. Joyeux Noël
Et
Bonnes vacances!