5 Words To Know If You’re Spending The Holidays in France This Year
Traveling to France during les fêtes de fin d'années? Add these words to your vocab to celebrate along with the Frenchiest of Frenchies.
By Brian Alcamo
Joyeuses Fêtes, tout le monde! If you’re in France this year for les fêtes de fin d'années, which take place during the month of December and the beginning of January, add these words to your vocabulary to make sure that you can celebrate along with the Frenchiest of Frenchies.
Le Marché de Noël
New Yorkers might be impressed enough by the Christmas markets at Bryant Park and Union Square, but if you’re looking to be blown away, you must go to Strasbourg for their Marche de Noel (Christmas market). The market is so massive that the city has dubbed itself the “Capital of Christmas” according to its website. The official name for the market is Christkindelsmärik, which is tied to this border city’s German heritage.
La Bûche de Noël
(A more “loggy” buche de noel)
This is a French Yule log cake, and it’s absolument delicieuse. Also known as a gâteau de Noël or a gateau roulé, this cake is prepared with a sponge cake that is iced and then rolled into a cylinder before being iced once again. Some people like to decorate their cakes in a Christmassy fashion, while others are intent on making sure you understand that this cake was inspired by a log. Either way, be sure to get your hands on a slice of a bûche de noël anywhere you are in France.
La Crèche
This word means “Nativity Scene,” and most in French are very typical, with Mary and Joseph holding court in a nondescript manger with Jesus. However, a creche provencale is a little different. It transposes the story of the nativity onto a southern French village. Little figurines, or santons, carry provencale essentials, like lavender and rosemary (yes, I said essentials).
Les Papillotes
While the word papillote can be used to denote anything wrapped or cooked in paper, une papillote is a special holiday treat wrapped in a metallic foil, which typically contains a message. The papillote’s origin story is that sometime during the 18th century, a Lyonnaise candy maker created small treats so that he could send little love messages to the girl in the village that he was smitten with. Now, the candies are simply cute and edible holiday decorations.
Le réveillon du jour de l’an
It’s New Years’ Eve! Like most places in the world, France turns out for the last party of the year. A few hours before this, though, the President address the French people on television, discussing the current political climate and his vows for the new year. If you’re looking for fireworks on this special night, please note that Paris does not put on any of these cherished feu d’artifice on New Years’ Eve. Fireworks along the Champs Elysees used to be part of the New Years’ tradition there, but in recent years have stopped. This lack of fireworks should not deter you from running out into the street at midnight to shout your heartiest bonne annee!
Also: You might also hear this day called Le réveillon de La Saint Sylvestre (Saint Sylvestre is another way to say New Years’ Day in France).
We hope you enjoy your holiday season wherever you are. If you’re in France, be sure to keep an eye out for these cultural traditions!
Thumbnail Image Credit: Alicia Steels
French Recipes For a Holiday Party
Everything you need for easy, at-home dishes that will wow your holiday guests.
When it comes to throwing an amazing holiday party, food can make or break your guest's experience. So why not impress them with some delicious French hors d’oeuvres, main courses, and desserts? Pictured below are some yummy French recipes we love and found while scouring the web. Give them a try and make sure to post your photos online using hashtag #JPLingo. Bonne lecture et bonne cuisine!
Entrée (Appetizer)
Smoked Salmon on Toast
This classic French snack is usually a favorite for guests to nibble on before the main course. Jamie Oliver's recipe below utilizes smoked salmon, horseradish and cress toasts...yum!! Click here for the recipe.
Recipe and photo credit: Jamie Oliver
Recettes Saint Jacques
Want to WOW your guests? Try making these elegant starters from L'atelier Des Chefs. Click here for the recipe (as pictured below).
Recipe and photo credit: L'atelier Des Chefs
Pain Surprise
Pain Surprise could include a number of different ingredients depending on which surprise you would like inside of the bread. One simple and delicious option is ham and cheese (as pictured below). This recipe comes from CuisineAZ and can be found by clicking on this link.
Recipe and photo credit: CuisineAZ
Les Plats Principaux (The Main Course)
Dinde Aux Marron (purée de céleri)
This main dish is ideal for the holiday season. As with most French dishes, the sauce is a big component in bringing flavor to the meal. The recipe below includes a celery puree which is a perfect compliment to this dish. Check it out by visiting this link from Journal Des Femmes.
Recipe and photo credit: Journal des Femmes
Gambas
If your guests enjoy seafood, then this shrimp filled platter is a perfect option. It features sweet and spicy to give a nice kick to your overall meal. The image and recipe below comes from Voyage Gourmand and you can visit their site here to learn how to make a great gambas.
Recipe and photo credit: Voyage Gourmand
Gigot D'agneau
This roasted lamb is another classic for the holidays. It is often called the Easter Lamb and can be found on the EasyFrench website here.
Recipe and photo credit: EasyFrench
Les Desserts (Dessert)
Buches De Noel
This dessert is one you will commonly see in the shape of a log at a holiday party. You can be creative by adding fun decorations like mushrooms atop the log (as seen in the image below). Check out the recipe from Marmiton here.
Recipe and photo credit: Marmiton
Café Gourmand
Café Gourmand includes desserts consumed with coffee at the end of the meal. There are many options to include with coffee and you can find a nice selection of recipes from L'express Styles here. (All images and recipes below are copyright of L'express Styles).
We hope you enjoyed this delicious array of recipes in French Recipes For a Holiday Party! We hope you have a wonderful (French-inspired) holiday season with your guests. If you are looking to learn more French language and culture, don't forget to check out our French Private Lessons, French Group Classes, and our cultural events on our JP Linguistics website. Bonne Journée!