Christmas in France: dates, traditions and French vocabulary

The Christmas calendar in France

In France, Epiphany is celebrated on the Sunday between 2 and 8 January; 6 January itself is not a holiday. Of all these dates, only 25 December and 1 January are public holidays across the whole country.

The traditions in detail

Le réveillon

Réveillon comes from réveiller, “to wake”: a dinner that keeps you up late. It is the heart of French Christmas: a long meal with the family on 24 December, often starting with foie gras, oysters (les huîtres) or smoked salmon, followed by turkey with chestnuts (la dinde aux marrons) or capon (le chapon). Some families hold their main meal at lunchtime on the 25th instead.

It ends with the bûche de Noël, a sponge roll shaped and decorated like a log, filled with cream or butter cream; ice-cream versions are popular too.

The word réveillon is also used for New Year’s Eve, le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre, more often spent with friends.

Le Père Noël and the presents

Le Père Noël comes during the night of 24 to 25 December. Traditionally children leave their shoes (les souliers) by the fireplace or under the tree. Depending on the family, presents are opened after dinner on the 24th or on the morning of the 25th. La Poste has answered children’s letters to Father Christmas since 1962.

Saint-Nicolas

On 6 December in Alsace, Lorraine and the north of France, Saint Nicholas brings children sweets, oranges or gingerbread, sometimes with his dark companion, le Père Fouettard. In Belgium, Saint-Nicolas is the main gift day for young children.

The crèche and the santons

Many families set up a crèche (nativity scene). In Provence it is filled with santons, small painted clay figures: not only the Holy Family but the whole village, from the baker to the fishwife. Santon fairs are held in December.

The thirteen desserts of Provence

In Provence, Christmas Eve begins with the gros souper, a meatless meal, followed by thirteen desserts, said to represent Christ and the twelve apostles. The list varies from family to family, but it usually includes:

• the four mendiants: dried figs, almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts, and raisins
• dates
• white and black nougat (le nougat blanc, le nougat noir)
• the pompe à l’huile, a sweet olive-oil bread
• fresh fruit, such as oranges or grapes
• local sweets such as calissons or candied fruit

Traditionally they stay on the table for three days.

New Year and the galette des rois

At midnight on 31 December, people wish each other Bonne année ! and may kiss under the mistletoe (le gui): in France, mistletoe belongs to New Year rather than Christmas. French people send their greetings in January rather than December: les vœux can be sent until the end of January.

In January, the galette des rois is everywhere. In most of France it is a puff-pastry tart filled with frangipane (almond cream); in the south it is often a brioche crown with candied fruit, le gâteau des rois. A small charm, la fève, is hidden inside. The youngest person goes under the table and says who gets each slice; whoever finds the fève becomes king or queen and wears the paper crown.

Other French-speaking countries have their own customs. In Quebec, the season is le temps des Fêtes, with tourtière, a meat pie, on the menu; in Belgium and Switzerland, Saint-Nicolas matters more than in most of France.

Christmas vocabulary and greetings

Joyeux Noël et bonne année !Happy Christmas and a happy New Year!

À Noël, on mange une bûche.At Christmas, we eat a Yule log.

Le Père Noël m’a apporté un vélo.Father Christmas brought me a bike.

Pronunciation: Joyeux Noël is “zhwah-YUH no-EL”: the two dots on the ë mean the o and the e are said separately. Vœux rhymes with deux; the x is silent. In Bonne année, the n links into the next word: “bo-na-NAY”.

Typical mistakes of English-speaking learners

• “Bon année”: année is feminine: bonne année.
• “Joyeuse Noël”: Noël is masculine: Joyeux Noël.
• “Le Noël” or “en Noël”: “at Christmas” is à Noël, “for Christmas” pour Noël.
• Missing tréma: Noël, not “Noel”.
• Christmas Eve: “the day before Christmas” is la veille de Noël; the réveillon is the meal.
• British customs transplanted: there is no Boxing Day and no crackers in France; mistletoe is for New Year.

In class: Christmas and the galette

Most French Christmas dates fall in the UK holidays, so the natural moments are your last week of the autumn term and your first week back.

1. Before the break, show the date and ask C’est quand, Noël ? The class answers: C’est le 25 décembre.
2. Show a photo of a réveillon table. Pupils name what they see: des huîtres, une bûche…
3. Ask Et au Royaume-Uni ? One difference each: Au Royaume-Uni, on mange du Christmas pudding.
4. Teach one wish and use it at the door: Joyeux Noël ! Bonnes vacances !

In January, a galette des rois makes a memorable first lesson back: the youngest pupil hides under the desk and calls out C’est pour qui ? for each slice. Frangipane contains almonds, so check your school’s allergy policy, and choose a large, non-choking charm or skip it.

Adapting to your class

• A1Name and wish: C’est Noël ! Joyeux Noël !
• A2Describe customs in the present: En France, on mange une bûche de Noël.
• B1Narrate a past Christmas: L’année dernière, on a fêté Noël chez mes grands-parents.
• B2Compare and give opinions: Je trouve que le réveillon est plus convivial que notre repas du 25.

At KS2, the galette and the Père Noël are enough. At KS3, the perfect tense comes alive with J’ai reçu… At GCSE, Christmas is a classic topic for describing a past celebration and comparing traditions.

Frequently asked questions