The document discusses several French traditions: 1) The Tour de France cycling race takes 3 weeks to complete around France and sometimes neighboring countries like Belgium. Though not a national holiday, many people are given the day off by employers when it passes through their town. 2) The Lyon Festival of Light began in 1852 as a religious celebration where people would light candles in their homes and streets to celebrate the erection of a Virgin Mary statue. 3) French people take great care in preparing celebratory meals for personal events like birthdays and weddings, often hosting large family banquets in their homes for special occasions.

1. By Imogen

2. Le Tour
 The Tour de France is a huge cycle
race around France.
 It takes three weeks to complete.
Often the Tour also visits
neighbouring countries, such as
Belgium or England across the
channel. While the cycle race is not
a national holiday, many people are
given the day off by their employers
when the race passes through their
town or village.
 People line the roads and find the
best spot to stand hours before the
tour passes. This is because the
Caravane arrives before the cyclists.
 The Caravan is a publicity convoy
about 300 cars.

3. Lyon Festival of Light
The religious festival was first
celebrated in 1852. The faithful
of Lyon wanted to set up a
stature of the Virgin Mary on
top of a hill. They had already
delayed this event because of
floods.
 On 8 December, everyone lit
candles in their homes to
celebrate, but a terrible storm
threatened. The storm passed
quickly and the citizens lit up
their homes and the streets.
They danced and celebrated.
They still do this today.

4. Celebrating at home in France
In France people love their
food. To celebrate a
personal event such as a
birthday or a wedding,
they will spare no money
or effort to prepare a
grand celebratory meal.
 Such meals are also a way
of thanking friends and
neighbours for their help
during the harvest, for
example picking grapes.
Family banquets for
special occasions such as
wedding often take place
in peoples own homes.

5. Christmas
Families celebrate Christmas
together with a late and very
festive meal on Christmas Eve.
Many homes have a Christmas
tree in France. Santa Claus is
known in France as Pere Noel.
 He arrives late at night when
young children are already
asleep . Pere Noel leaves the
gifts next to the tree, in shoes or
in Christmas stocking.
 Religious people go to
midnight mass. The churches
are beautiful lit and the bells
ring out Christmas carols.

6. Wedding
On the day of the wedding
the bridegroom picks up
his future wife from her
home. The bride is dressed
in a beautiful white gown
and she wears a crown
and flowers in her hair.
 After the church
ceremony guests may
shower the bride with rice
to wish her many children.

7. Wedding
On the day of the wedding
the bridegroom picks up
his future wife from her
home. The bride is dressed
in a beautiful white gown
and she wears a crown
and flowers in her hair.
 After the church
ceremony guests may
shower the bride with rice
to wish her many children.