10 French Christmas Traditions That You Didn’t Know

10 French Christmas Traditions That You Didn’t Know

Six hours of none stop eating? A fairy who leaves twigs in the shoes of naughty children? France has so many unusual Christmas traditions that only the locals, or someone spending Christmas in the country, would ever learn about.

Christmas in France, particularly Paris, is a magical time and if you’re lucky enough to be part of it this year, here are some things you can expect!

1. All Letters to Santa Clause Must be Responded to

All over the world at Christmas time, it is estimated that millions upon millions of letters to Santa Clause go discarded into trash cans or parent’s personal collections, with only a handful ever seeing the effort of response.

In France, a law was passed in 1962 that stipulates that every single child who writes a letter to Santa Clause must receive a response in the form of a postcard in return.

This has done great things in terms of boosting the Christmas morale, as well as created extra work for postmen across country.

by Archives New Zealand – Wikimedia Commons

2. Gift Exchanging Doesn’t Always Happen on Christmas Day

The French are incredibly fluid about when and where gift opening can take place. Some start early, allowing all gifts to be opened on the Feast of St Nicolas on December 6th.

A lot of families do all of their gifts on Christmas Eve, between their traditional family feast that we will soon learn of. Christmas morning is also an option, but some take it even further and wait to gift at the Feast of the Kings on January 6th.

In France, there is no single correct place or time to enjoy the gifting process. When it feels right to do it, you do it.

by Ben White – Unsplash

3. Christmas Eve Dinner’s Take as Long as Six Hours

The Christmas Eve dinner in France is known as the Le Réveillon, and it is a long, drawn out process.

They start around 6pm, and the meals are expected to take everyone through until midnight to see the clock turn to Christmas Day. The long feast is sustained through many, many individual dishes, snacks and treats.

by James Coleman – Unsplash

4. Traditional Christmas Foods Include:

A traditional stuffed and roasted turkey will always be present in a French Christmas feast.

In addition to this, the French will serve a variety of smoked salmon and oysters, foiegras, many different roasted veggies & potatoes alongside breads & butters.

by Rašo – Wikimedia Commons

5. There are 13 Desserts That Must Follow the Main Meal

In France, it is a very important tradition that the feast be followed by a series of 13 desserts, symbolizing Christ and his 12 apostles at the Last Supper.

The 13 dishes are usually a combination of baked treats, carefully prepared tarts and a platters of cheese, fruits and nuts. A lot of cake, as well. 

by Elizabeth – Wikimedia Commons

6. Shoes Must Be Filled with Gifts and Treats From Santa Clause

Leaving one’s shoes by the fire is a very important traction in French households. This is to be done before bed on Christmas Eve, and it is then expected of Santa Clause to fill said shoes with small gifts and sweets sometime in the night.

7. Christmas in France is About Quality not Quality

The French can actually be quoted as saying this, as they do not necessarily go as all-out as cities like London or Prague do during this time.

The French prefer a quality experience, and make an effort to shop for only the necessities at the relevant Christmas markets that pop up during this time.

Commercial shops also don’t do big Boxing Day sales like they do in other parts of the world. It is traditional in France to keep consumerism to a minimum.

8. The 12th Day of Christmas is the Galette of Kings

For the French, the 12th day of Christmas is the Feast of Epiphany. At this dinner, everyone eats something known as a galette des rois, or “cake of the kings”. These are pastry type cakes filled with sweet insides, and when each family places their cake order, one in the batch will be baked with a small hidden charm called a fève.

It is tradition for the youngest of the family to distribute the cakes at random, and once the winner finds the fève, he or she gets to wear a crown.

galette des rois – by Benoît Prieur – Wikimedia Commons

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9. The French (Technically) Invented Christmas Crackers

Back in the 19th century, a man named Tom Smith visited Paris from London. It was here that he found the inspiration for Christmas crackers, having encountered the French bon-bon sweets for the first time and becoming inspired by their shape and concept.

He returned to London and began selling his own wrapped treats with small messages in time. Over the next few years, paper crowns and small gifts would be added and the wrappings made big enough to hold everything together.

by Amelia Wells – Wikimedia Commons

10. Mistletoe is a Big Tradition in France

This one I didn’t expect, having assumed this to be a more British or American Christmas time tradition.

But, unsurprisingly, the French do love any excuse to kiss and mistletoe is something that is always included in festivities. It’s all good fun, and you’ll even get caught off guard by it at the public markets; just have a laugh and know that you are absolutely never under any obligation to kiss anyone that you don’t want to! 

If you want to hear more about French Christmas traditions, or just France in general, then be sure to book your free guided walking tour if you’ll be spending time in the city of Paris. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, in France and beyond.