Les Fêtes de fin d’année
Christmas cards:
Christmas cards are sent when people are not going to see each other over the festive season, but cards are mainly sent for the New Year. People exchange cards to wish a Happy New Year to family, friends or business contacts.
It’s called : Echanger les voeux.
The good thing is that you can do this for the whole of January (no pressure in December!)
The vocabulary needed is
- Bonne Année
- Meilleurs vœux
- Bonne et heureuse année
- Je vous souhaite une bonne et heureuse année
- Bonne santé
- Tous mes vœux de bonheur et de bonne santé
- Je vous souhaite beaucoup de joie et de bonheur.
- Je te/vous souhaite un très joyeux Noël (for Xmas)
- Je te/vous souhaite de très bonnes fêtes (for Xmas and New Year)
- Je te/vous souhaite une très bonne année 2011
- Je te/vous souhaite beaucoup de joie et de bonheur pour cette nouvelle année 2011
French Christmas Traditions
Noël is more of a family celebration (there are no Christmas lunches with work colleagues as such! Work celebrations are for the New year when people ‘tirent les Rois’ (Post to come).
The sapin de Noël is the main decoration..
Children put their shoes in front of the fireplace, in the hope that Père Noël or Papa Noël will come and bring presents.
One of the highlight of the festive season is the Réveillon on Christmas Eve, which should follow la Messe de Minuit although it is nowadays attended by fewer and fewer people. The Réveillon is a huge culinary feast. Each region in France has its own traditional Christmas menu, with dishes like turkey, capon, goose, chicken, and boudin blanc (similar to white pudding).
Throughout the French Christmas season, there are special traditional desserts:La bûche de Noël (Yule log) – Traditionally a chocolate pastry, nowadays pâtissiers are more and more inventive.
Throughout the French Christmas season, there are special traditional desserts:La bûche de Noël (Yule log) – Traditionally a chocolate pastry, nowadays pâtissiers are more and more inventive.
La Galette des Rois (on Epiphany) - round cake which is cut into pieces and distributed by a child, known as le petit roi or l'enfant soleil, hiding under the table. Whoever finds la fève - the charm hidden inside - is King or Queen and can choose a partner. People at work will organize une Galette des Rois around 4 or 5 in the afternoon to celebrate the New Year.
Advent calendar un calendrier de l'Avent
angel un ange
candle une chandelle
Christmas Noël
Christmas card une carte de Noël
Christmas carol un chant de Noël
Christmas Day le jour de Noël
Christmas Eve la veille de Noël
Christmas feast le Réveillon
Christmas present un cadeau de Noël
Christmas tree le sapin de Noël, l'arbre de Noël
Epiphany, Twelfth Night la Fête des Rois
game un jeu
Happy Holidays! Meilleurs vœux !
little saint un santon
manger la crèche
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël !
Midnight Mass la Messe de Minuit
mistletoe le gui
New Year's Day le Jour de l'An
New Year's Eve la Saint-Sylvestre
present un cadeau
reindeer un renne
ribbon un ruban
Santa Claus Père Noël, Papa Noël
Season's greetings! Meilleurs vœux !
shepherd un berger
sleigh un traîneau
snow la neige
snowball une boule de neige
snowman un bonhomme de neige
toy un jouet
white Christmas Noël sous la neige
Yule log la bûche de Noël
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