French Christmas Commercials Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 7, 2021 in Culture, News, Politics, Television
It’s time to dig into a new batch of commercials! They’re a great (short) way to work your language skills and experience some French culture at the same time. As always, try and watch theses commercials without the subtitles first (and without looking at the translations!) then reveal the text and translation if you need to and watch them again.
Photo CC0 from Daria Shevtsova at www.pexels.com
Pubs de Noël
Picard1Picard is a chaîne specializing in des produits congelés/frozen foods “pour le bon et pour le meilleur”2Perhaps a play on ‘pour le meilleur et pour le pire’/for better or worse
Ouvrez
Le seul. L’unique. Ou presque. / The only. The unique. Or almost.
Qu’on respecte les traditions. / Whether you stick to traditions
Ou qu’on veuille faire sensation. / Or want to make a splash.
Qu’on mange uniquement végétarien / Whether you are strictly vegetarian
Ou un peu moins. / Or not quite.
Qu’on soit du genre à tout faire / Whether you’re a “do it all” type
Ou à ne rien faire. / Or more do nothing at all.
Qu’on se retrouve à 2, 6, 12 ou 22 / Whether you’re together in 2, 6, 12, or 22
Qu’on réveillonnent pour la première fois / Celebrating Christmas for the first time
Ou pour la première fois / Or the “first time”
On partage tout / Sharing everything
Ou presque tout / Or almost
Tous les Noëls sont les bienvenus chez Picard / All kinds of Christmas are welcome at Picard
Picard pour le bon et le meilleur / Picard for the good and the better
Ouvrez
Parce que vous avez des idées plein la tête / Because your head is full of ideas
Et du talent plein les mains / And your hands are full of talent
Parce que il y a des cadeaux aussi pour ceux qui ne sont pas toujours sage / Because there are even presents for those how aren’t always good
Et parce que les plue belles étoiles sont celles qui brillent dans leurs yeux / And because the most beautiful stars are the ones that shine in their eyes
Truffaut, mettons plus de vie dans nos vies / Truffaut, let’s put more life in our lives
[Jardin / Animaux / Maison] / [Garden / Animals / Home]
Ouvrez
Nous ouvrons nos cœurs / We open our hearts
Et parfois même beaucoup plus / And sometimes even much more
C’est le retour des traditions / It’s the return to tradition
Et des décorations / And of decorations
C’est aussi la fascination / It’s also fascination
Parce que Noël c’est elle / Because Christmas is her
Et lui / And him
Et nous / And us
Quelque soit votre façon de la célébrer / However you celebrate
Kinder vous souhaite un Noël magique. / Kinder wishes you a magical Christmas.
You can find these pubs and many more in this YouTube playlist.
Joséphine Baker
La semaine dernière3Last week a cénotaphe containing the soil from four significant locations in the life of Joséphine Baker was moved into the Panthéon. If you’d like to see highlights from the ceremony, you can find them here.
In related news, thanks to the efforts of Brian Bouillon-Baker – son of Joséphine Baker – the Gaîté metro stop (ligne4line 13) is being renamed Gaîté-Joséphine Baker. The station is located near both the Place Joséphine Baker and the Bobino theater where Joséphine gave her last public performance.
Le “nouveau” drapeau français
As I shared a few weeks ago, France has a “new” flag. If you’d like to learn more, check out this great explainer video from The Tim Traveler.
A Covid Update
I never like returning to the topic, but with the new Omicron variant spreading, France, like many countries, is implementing new restrictions ahead of les fetes de fin d’année. These restrictions include:
- “Les élèves et le personnel [dans les écoles primaires] devront […] porter le masque en intérieur et en extérieur.”5Students and workers [in primary schools] must […] wear a mask inside and out
- “La fermeture des discothèques pour quatre semaines”6Discos will be closed for four weeks
- “La vaccination des enfants de 5 à 11 ans à risque ouverte sera ouverte à partir du 15 décembre”7Vaccines will be available to high-risk kids aged 5-11 beginning on December 15th
- “Les Français âgés de 65 ans et plus pourront obtenir une dose de rappel de vaccin contre le Covid sans rendez-vous”8French people 65 and older can get a booster shot without an appointment
- “Le télétravail demandé à ‘toutes les entreprises qui le peuvent’”9”All companies who can support it” should support remote work/telecommuting
- 1Picard is a chaîne specializing in des produits congelés/frozen foods
- 2Perhaps a play on ‘pour le meilleur et pour le pire’/for better or worse
- 3Last week
- 4line
- 5Students and workers [in primary schools] must […] wear a mask inside and out
- 6Discos will be closed for four weeks
- 7Vaccines will be available to high-risk kids aged 5-11 beginning on December 15th
- 8French people 65 and older can get a booster shot without an appointment
- 9”All companies who can support it” should support remote work/telecommuting
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About the Author: Tim Hildreth
Since my first trip to France at 16, I have been a passionate francophile. I love the language, food, music, art, people, and more that make France and la Francophonie in general such an amazing part of our global community. Having lived in France and studied the language and culture for over 35 years, it is my great pleasure to be able to share a little bit of my deep love with you through this blog.
Comments:
David Bebbington:
J’adore votre site. J’ai hâte de m’en servir dans mes classes ici au Manitoba, Canada où il fait actuellement un froid de canard. Un super grand « Msrci » et Joyeuses Fêtes !
Tim Hildreth:
@David Bebbington Merci à vous David et bonnes fêtes de fin d’année au Canada!