GUIDE TO
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
Did you know that Christmas in France starts
early? Or that a capon is traditionally served instead of turkey? Catharine Higginson runs through some of the best festive traditions in France, including where to buy the best presents
A
s someone who’s always loved Christmas, and with two of my
children’s birthdays being on the 24th and the 26th of December, when I moved to France I was expecting to miss my ‘British’ Christmas and for ‘French’ Christmas to be a bit of a letdown. But two decades later, I’ve learned to love it, and we now mix and match the traditions from both countries. Christmas in France starts
early with many towns installing their Christmas lights from November onwards. Even the smallest of villages will decorate the streets or at least the mairie. One of the loveliest and simplest schemes I’ve seen was pine tree branches tied to the streetlights with sparkly bows; wonderful at night!
PERSONAL TOUCH While the French don’t generally send Christmas cards (and if they do, the cards are more likely to be sent at New Year), I’ve found that my French friends and neighbours really appreciate a handwritten card. Items like Christmas cards and crackers that are hard to fi nd in France can be bought online; planning and shopping early will mean you have time to enjoy all the festivities. When it comes to shopping, France has a long tradition of
“Christmas markets are a magical experience for both adults and children”
Christmas markets, fabulous places to fi nd individual and handmade gifts and artisanal produce. It’s a magical experience for both adults and children and is a big part of French tradition. Many of the better-known
markets, such as Mulhouse, Montbéliarde and Metz, are in eastern France and the biggest and oldest is in Strasbourg. The fi rst Christmas market in Europe was held there in 1570 and it was known as the Christkindelsmärik (the market of baby Jesus). This year the market is open from 24 November to 24 December. It has a really traditional
and authentic Alsatian feel, with 300 wooden chalets in the heart of the Grande Île, a Unesco World Heritage site, in the historic city centre. The lighting displays are amazing with numerous illuminated streets as well as the huge Christmas tree; delicious aromas waft from diff erent stands and there’s a vast selection of interesting gifts to inspire your shopping. Fabric lovers should head
to Mulhouse where the city’s rich industrial textile history is linked to the exceptional decorations. These are made from Alsatian fabric and every year, a new and unique design
is produced and used as part of the city-wide decorations. It’s a lovely way to refl ect the city’s heritage and gives the Christmas market its own and very distinct atmosphere.
UNIQUE GIFTS The north of France is also becoming well known for its markets. Running from 24 November to the end of December, Amiens Christmas market is a more recent installation as it has only been going since 1997. However, around 130 chalets stretch for over two kilometres and it’s known for its great choice of gift ideas supplied by both French artisans and craftsmen from all over the world. The shop windows display handmade mechanical decorations featuring Christmas-themed displays. Doing some ‘window shopping’ while enjoying a glass of mulled wine is a perfect pre-Christmas treat! Arras is another big market
A French Christmas isn’t complete without a bûche de Noël 88 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: November/December 2023
in the north that is well worth a visit. Running from around the same dates, the Christmas market is laid out in the magnifi cent setting of the Grand’Place, a Flemish Baroque architectural ensemble which is unrivalled in Europe. This makes for a truly remarkable backdrop to the ‘forest’ of Christmas trees, where 140
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