{"id":21489,"date":"2014-12-24T04:21:59","date_gmt":"2014-12-24T03:21:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=21489"},"modified":"2017-10-23T13:27:01","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T11:27:01","slug":"christmas-eve-feasts-festivities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/christmas-eve-feasts-festivities\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Eve Feasts and Festivities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas Eve in France is a holiday in and of itself. Traditionally, it was celebrated with la Messe de Minuit <\/strong>(midnight mass) for many families, even those who are non-pratiquant <\/strong>(non-practicing). With attendance rates lowering, it’s becoming less and less common as a whole for the French to attend this mass, but you can still find them all over France. Malgr\u00e9 son nom <\/strong>(despite its name), most of the masses take place between 6 and 10pm. Some people prefer to stay at home and watch the Pope’s Midnight Mass on France 2, and some even listen to local masses on the radio.<\/p>\n

The Midnight Mass is followed by a large feast called le R\u00e9veillon <\/strong>(you might recognize la racine du mot <\/strong>[the root of the word]: comes from the same family as r\u00e9veiller <\/strong>[to wake up \/ to revive]). Why this name? It’s to se r\u00e9veiller <\/strong>(to wake yourself up) after such a late-night activity! Ce festin<\/strong> (this feast) can be enjoyed at home or in a caf\u00e9 or restaurant (some stay open all night for this). Even with all the food, depending on the region you’re in, the main dish may change. You might eat le<\/strong> poulet <\/strong>(chicken), les escargots <\/strong>(snails), la dinde farcie aux marrons<\/strong> (chestnut-stuffed turkey), le saumon fum\u00e9<\/strong> (smoked salmon), l’oie<\/strong> (goose), le boudin blanc<\/strong> (white pudding), ou m\u00eame les hu\u00eetres <\/strong>(or even oysters). Naturally, all of this is washed down with le vin\u00a0<\/strong>(wine) or le champagne <\/strong>(champagne).<\/p>\n

Vous \u00eates sur Paris pour le R\u00e9veillion et vous n’avez rien \u00e0 faire? <\/strong>(Are you in Paris for Christmas Eve with nothing to do?) Check out this <\/a>site!<\/p>\n

Thinking back to ma propre enfance <\/strong>(my own childhood), I realized that my family here in the States didn’t have many traditions on Christmas Eve. On n’a jamais assist\u00e9 \u00e0 une Messe de Minuit <\/strong>(we never went to a midnight mass), on n’a jamais mang\u00e9 un festin – c’\u00e9tait pour le lendemain <\/strong>(we never had a feast – that was for the next day). Avec ma s\u0153ur, on avait le droit d’ouvrir un cadeau chaque R\u00e9veillon de No\u00ebl, mais \u00e0 part \u00e7a, on ne faisait rien de sp\u00e9cial<\/strong> (my sister and I were allowed to unwrap one gift on Christmas Eve, but besides that, we didn’t do anything special).<\/p>\n

I decided to ask 3\u00a0people (two\u00a0French and one Canadian French — le R\u00e9veillion<\/strong> exists there, too!) what their families do for Christmas Eve. Read their answers below (there are English translations at the bottom of the post) and see how these families celebrate. Can you see any similarities or differences?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Que fait votre famille pour le R\u00e9veillion de No\u00ebl?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Juliette, 24. Dunkerque, France.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ma famille n\u2019a jamais \u00e9t\u00e9 tr\u00e8s \u00ab r\u00e9veillon de No\u00ebl \u00bb. Pour nous, la f\u00eate se fait le 25 d\u00e9cembre, chez un membre de la famille. Du coup, \u00e0 moins d\u2019\u00eatre invit\u00e9s quelque part pr\u00e9cis\u00e9ment pour le r\u00e9veillon, on reste \u00e0 la maison tranquillement.<\/p>\n

Quand j\u2019\u00e9tais petite, je passais la soir\u00e9e avec ma s\u0153ur et mon p\u00e8re, en pyjamas, \u00e0 regarder les programmes de No\u00ebl et ma m\u00e8re pr\u00e9parait quelque chose de \u00ab sp\u00e9cial \u00bb, comme un mini ap\u00e9ritif (champomy pour les enfants), avec des toasts au saumon ou aux \u0153ufs de Lymp, ou une entr\u00e9e de f\u00eate (saumon fum\u00e9, foie gras, coquille Saint Jacques\u2026) Mais comme il fallait \u00eatre pr\u00eat \u00e0 recevoir le lendemain ou pr\u00eat \u00e0 partir t\u00f4t pour aller chez la famille, c\u2019\u00e9tait tout, d\u2019autant plus qu\u2019il ne fallait surtout pas avoir trop mang\u00e9 et \u00eatre malade !<\/p>\n

Cependant, depuis quelques ann\u00e9e, le programme a chang\u00e9 : ma s\u0153ur a maintenant un petit-ami bulgare, et puisque mes parents ne font rien, elle m\u2019invite souvent pour un r\u00e9veillon 100% Bulgare : 12 plats v\u00e9g\u00e9tariens fait maison (histoire de survivre \u00e0 la demi tonne de viande qui viendra lors du repas du 25). On ouvre \u00e9galement les cadeaux \u00e0 minuit.<\/p>\n

Maintenant, le jour de No\u00ebl, nous restons tr\u00e8s traditionnels quand nous recevons : ap\u00e9ro, foie gras ou saumon, dinde, marrons, salade, fromage, et b\u00fbche !<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Olivier, 18. Montr\u00e9al, Canada.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chez nous, pour No\u00ebl, on perp\u00e9tue certaines traditions qui datent de plusieurs g\u00e9n\u00e9rations, depuis le temps des grandes veill\u00e9es des colons.<\/p>\n

Le 24, alors qu’on va chercher un sapin pour d\u00e9corer le salon, une ou plusieurs personnes s’occupe(nt) de pr\u00e9parer le souper du r\u00e9veillon pour le restant de la famille qui ressemble \u00e0 :<\/p>\n

-une dinde farcie
\n-du rago\u00fbt de boulettes
\n-du jambon
\n-une tourti\u00e8re
\n-des f\u00e8ves au lard
\n-des patates
\n-des atacas
\n-une b\u00fbche de No\u00ebl<\/p>\n

Apr\u00e8s le souper, on passe la “veill\u00e9e” ensemble \u00e0 jouer \u00e0 des jeux en \u00e9coutant de la musique de No\u00ebl ou de la musique traditionnelle jusqu’\u00e0 minuit et tout le monde se souhaite joyeux No\u00ebl. Pour ceux qui ne peuvent attendre, ils peuvent ouvrir un cadeau sous le sapin.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Karine, 24. Cavaillon, France.<\/strong><\/p>\n

La veille de No\u00ebl, c’est-\u00e0-dire le 24 D\u00e9cembre, ma famille et moi passons ensemble le moment le plus pr\u00e9cieux de l’ann\u00e9e. C’est un moment chaleureux que nous d\u00e9cidons de toujours passer ensemble, et nous r\u00e9servons les jours qui suivent pour le reste de ma famille comme mon grand p\u00e8re par exemple. Je sais que mes amis font la m\u00eame chose. En revanche, ce qu’ils ne font pas c’est notre tradition que nous avons invent\u00e9! Pendant des semaines ma famille et moi gardons pr\u00e9cieusement des pots de yaourt en verre que nous avons au pr\u00e9alable nettoy\u00e9 et o\u00f9 on installe une bougie que nous allumons \u00e0 l’aide d’un spaghetti afin de ne pas nous br\u00fbler. Quand ma s\u0153ur et moi \u00e9tions petites, nos parents nous disaient que ces petits photophores improvis\u00e9s que nous pla\u00e7ons aux fen\u00eatres servaient \u00e0 aider le P\u00e8re No\u00ebl \u00e0 ne pas se perdre, et bien s\u00fbr \u00e0 ne pas oublier de venir chez nous.<\/p>\n

Maintenant, nous perp\u00e9tuons cette tradition des pots de yaourt, car c’est un peu notre magie de No\u00ebl \u00e0 nous. Le r\u00e9veillon est le moment que je pr\u00e9f\u00e8re. Nous mangeons toutes les choses que nous pr\u00e9f\u00e9rons, et incontestablement; le foie gras est \u00e0 l’honneur! Au moment de lever nos verres, ma m\u00e8re prend une photo de famille, puis nous trinquons devant la cr\u00e8che. Mon p\u00e8re met des CD de No\u00ebl, nous jouons avec notre chien… M\u00eame si nous sommes grandes maintenant, les cadeaux attendront demain matin, le temps que le P\u00e8re No\u00ebl passe. Je ch\u00e9rie de tout mon c\u0153ur ces instants pr\u00e9cieux avec ma famille, car c’est aussi \u00e7a l’esprit de No\u00ebl.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What does your family do for Christmas Eve?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Juliette, 24. Dunkerque, France.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My family has never really been into celebrating Christmas Eve. For us, the party is on the 25th only, at a family member’s house. Thus, unless we were invited somewhere precisely to celebrate Christmas Eve, we would just stay at home.<\/p>\n

When I was younger, I would spend the evening in my pajamas with my sister and my dad in front of the Christmas specials on TV, while my mom would prepare dinner and something \u201cspecial,\u201d like drinks (non-alcoholic champagne for children) and a small appetizer (toasts with salmon or fish eggs), or a Christmas party specialty (foie gras, smoked salmon, scallops\u2026). But since we had to be ready to host or leave early to go somewhere else the following day, that was it, especially since we must couldn’t eat too much, or we’d be sick for the big day!<\/p>\n

However, in the past\u00a0few years, the deal has changed: my sister is dating a Bulgarian guy, and because my parents don\u2019t do anything, she often invites me over for a Bulgarian Christmas Eve: 12 home-made vegetarian courses (this is so that we can survive the 50 pounds or so of meat that would come the next day). We also open our presents at midnight.<\/p>\n

Now, for Christmas Day, we stay very traditional when we host the party: appetizer, foie gras or salmon, turkey, chestnuts, salad, French chesse platter, and b\u00fbche de No\u00ebl (the infamous French Christmas cake).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Olivier, 18. Montreal, Canada. <\/strong><\/p>\n

For Christmas, we generally celebrate the way our ancestors have since the French colonies. On the 24th, while some go hunting for the perfect Christmas tree, others prepare a typical French-Canadian Christmas\u00a0\u00a0dinner which includes :<\/p>\n

– a stuffed turkey
\n– meatball stew
\n– ham
\n– pie
\n– baked beans
\n– potatoes
\n– cranberry sauce
\n– the French log cake<\/p>\n

After supper, everyone plays games while listening to traditional music until midnight comes when everyone wishes a merry Christmas to their loved ones. For those who can’t wait, they’re allowed to open one gift from under the tree.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Karine, 24. Cavaillon, France.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The day before Christmas, that is to say December 24th, my family and I spend the most precious time of year together. It’s a warm time that we always choose to spend together, and we reserve the following days for the rest of my family, like my grandfather, for example. I know my friends do the same thing. However, what they don’t do is a tradition we invented! For weeks, my family and I carefully\u00a0kept glass yogurt jars that we would wash out before putting candle in them that we’d light with a piece of spaghetti so we wouldn’t burn ourselves. When my sister and I were young, our parents told us that these little improvised lanterns that we’d place in the windows were used to help Santa Claus not get lost, and, of course, to not forget to come to us.<\/p>\n

Now we continue this tradition with the yogurt jars because it’s our little bit of Christmas Magic. I prefer Christmas Eve. We eat all our favorite foods, and indisputably, the foie gras is in the spotlight! Right when we raise our glasses, my mom takes a picture of the family, and we toast in front of the nativity scene. My father puts on Christmas CDs, and we play with our dog. Even though we’re adults now, the gifts have to wait until the morning after Santa Claus has come. I cherish with all my heart these precious moments with my family because that’s the spirit of Christmas!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Does your family celebrate Christmas Eve? How so? Any similarities between your family’s celebrations and Olivier’s, Juliette’s, or Karine’s?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Christmas Eve in France is a holiday in and of itself. Traditionally, it was celebrated with la Messe de Minuit (midnight mass) for many families, even those who are non-pratiquant (non-practicing). With attendance rates lowering, it’s becoming less and less common as a whole for the French to attend this mass, but you can still…<\/p>\n

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