I remember Christmas time in the U.S. when I was a child. I remember light dustings of snow on the University of Alabama campus near where we lived at the time and going over to my grandpa’s house for dinner and playing in the woods behind our house with my brother. The smell of autumn in most any northern city is the smell of Christmas in the South. The dank decay of the warm rusty colored leaves thoughtlessly sprawled on the ground in the empty woods and the brisk chilling breeze bringing the smoke of a chimney to my nose remind me of Christmas as a child in Alabama.
When my mom and I moved to South Florida, Christmas took on another smell and character. The weeks leading to the holiday didn’t seem that different from any of the other months of the year, except perhaps it was less hot than it had been in July. Instead of 90ºF it might be 80º. I’m only half joking. But I do remember wearing a sweater and pants rather than a sun dress. The manicured landscape of Palm Beach did not change. The Palm Trees keep their leaves and the smell was of sea salt and oranges rather than chimney smoke and decaying leaves. The flowers were in perfect rows of red, yellow, violet, blue. It was much like paradise should be, i suppose, if monotony didn’t kill the perfection of it.
I wished back then that I could have a Christmas like I read about in The Polar Express with white blankets of snow, mountains of it, covering everything the eye could see. Be careful what you wish for, they told me.
Not too long after that my mom and I moved to Canada where the wonders of Christmas were exactly as I had always imagined them. Tobogganing on the neighborhood hill and learning to sky, to shovel the driveway, making snow angels. I could talk for hours about Christmas in Canada. It’s my own special brand of paradise.
And then I moved once more, this time to France. Christmas here is of yet another sort. The build-up toward the festivities takes on another flavor. I have just returned from the supermarket in my Parisian neighborhood and it reminded me of the differences between what I grew up with at Christmas time and what my children will grow up surrounded by. Christmas in France is about food and family much like ours in North America with the Christmas decorations and lit coniferous trees. But the celebration takes on other forms, variant traditions and here is what I’ve learned about Christmas in Paris.
Rather than turkey and ham, the French eat oysters and St Jacques and salmon, lots of Foie Gras and capon with chestnuts (castrated fattened rooster). They drink Champagne.
In the led up to Christmas, Paris is lit up like Time Square. Most neighborhoods (quartier) line their streets with hanging decorations and lights. The large shopping markets Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Le Bon Marché are magnificently resplendent in their adornment. Embellishment is the word of the season.
Rather than stockings hung by the chimney with care, French children put a shoe under the tree in the hopes that Père Noël (Santa Clause is Father Christmas in France) will fill it with their just desserts.
In the Catholic tradition, many families give their gifts on Christmas Eve after the midnight mass. If small children are among the family, however, this is usually done in the morning after Père Noël has pasted. The children leave him a glass of milk and an orange. Cookies are an American take.
Santa Clause is not the center of Christmas in France, not to the extent that it is in North America. Children are taught about the religious meaning of the holiday. Christmas represents to the French much of what Thanksgiving means to North Americans. The French give thanks for their families, family time, health, joy, togetherness.
The stores are full of decorations, but the holiday is less commercial in France than elsewhere, although I fret this is changing toward global tendencies. Certainly lovely wrapping paper and bows make for a new display along one aisle in the grocery store, but you will see more festive food items representing the coming celebration than Coka Cola’s Saint Nick. Chocolate is probably number one on the list of Christmas favors. Then Fois Gras and Champagne. Most of the larger companies in both chocolate and Champagne market an unique Christmas season product for the ease of gift giving. Although the average French supermarket cannot compare to the megastores of the U.S., the displays of these three delicacies are prominent and jovial. In fact, I’ve never seen so many types of chocolat noir as I just passed in the Monoprix near my house.
In Alsace, known as the home of Saint Nicolas, Père Noël, there are fabulous Christmas markets in the villages. Some say the best Christmas markets in the world are there set along the backdrop of Swiss cottages and the Alps. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of going to one, but sometime soon. It’s on my To Go list.
Parisians are, like most big city folk, busy in the led up to Christmas. Their grimaces are lightly softened in spite of the cold winds that beat upon their faces. The weather in France is not as severe as in Canada during the Christmas season. I think the whole country’s temperatures vary between 36º to 45º throughout December. Obviously in the northern parts, along the sea in Brittany and in the French Alps it can get much colder. But snow in most of France is not the mountains I remember in Canada; it much more like the dusting of my young childhood in the American South.
It’s funny, though, no matter where I am in the lead up to Christmas, no matter what smells fill my senses, a certain sparkle traverses my veins.
gardenfreshtomatoes said:
As we walked to dinner on Saturday night, an order of Christmas evergreens was being delivered to a shopkeeper. My husband and I hesitated, just barely, to inhale their scent… A first whisper of Christmas in Paris…
Looking forward to keeping up with the goings-on in my favorite city through your blog; Thanks for visiting mine.
cookinginsens said:
That foie gras with figs is awesome!
delacybrown said:
Paris at Christmas time is so magical… have you seen the little bunnies in the window of BHV department store? Says everything to me about how cute and wonderful that city is at Christmas! Enjoy it… I’m so sad to be back in London 😦
Becoming Madame said:
I have yet to see the bunnies. I am planning to do a video on such festivities in Paris, so I’ll definitely check it out. I just got back from a week in London. It’s pretty special too!! It’s all about the eyes through which you see it! 🙂 Take care.
Pingback: Sometimes I have to Pinch Myself: Tricks to Christmas Shopping in Paris « Becoming Madame
bluebirdsunshine said:
Just found your blog and I’m loving it. I have lived in Paris and I’m loving seeing your pics and reading you talk about the city I love most in the world. Christmas is a pretty special affair there and you’ve captured it beautifully. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Linda Willows said:
I would love to be in Paris for the holiday pastries. I felt happy as soon as I came to your site. I imagined myself in Paris, such paradise…
I loved living abroad, the best of times
Brett Bralley said:
This was a lovely read. And I went to UA, so I can perfectly imagine the pretty imagery of snow in Alabama that you described. I bet Paris at Christmas is just wonderful.
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you kindly, Brett. Roll Tide! 🙂 And Happy Holidays!
Laura Leigh Goyer said:
Your post brought back some great memories for me. My own childhood followed a similar geographical journey as yours, only on the West Coast (from the Oregon coast to Southern California to British Columbia). I hope that, like you, I can also experience at least one Christmas in Paris!
Very enjoyable read. Happy Holidays!
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you very much! I highly recommend a Christmas in Paris, but even better is an April afternoon! All my best and Happy Holidays to you too!
Mrs Deri Pocock said:
“I could talk for hours about Christmas in Canada.” Please do! Nothing I have found matches my memories of cross-country skiing through Ontario woods, climbing icefalls in BC, downhill skiing in Tremblant; or further back – toboganning in my lovely sweater decorated with reindeer and snowflakes that Mum spent days making. I spent my adult working life in the UK, always pining for Canada at Christmas (Despite the true spirit of crass commercialism that reaches its peak at ASDA). Now retired and living in Turkey – but still missing Canadian winters, Canadian Christmas foods, decorations, trees, sports.
Becoming Madame said:
Your description of Canadian winters makes me homesick! 🙂 Especially now that the holidays are approaching! Thanks so much for taking me back there. All my best.
vanity cake said:
Your description of children putting out shoes instead of stockings brought me back to grade school. I went to a Catholic school, and we always put a single shoe in the hallway, and St. Nick would come by and leave a little peppermint candy cane in there. We were all tickled to walk around with one shoe for the afternoon!
emmylou27 said:
Well now you have definitely confirmed my vacation dreams for next year! I’m always longing for a more traditional and sincere Christmas experience.
Becoming Madame said:
I’m so glad! Be sure to check in before you come over, I always have a new great list of places to go and things to do! Happy Holidays!
BermudaOnion said:
We lived in France in the early 90s and Christmas was rather subdued then. There were lights in the streets, but it was very difficult to find any decorations in the stores because people didn’t decorate their homes at that time. Forget finding Christmas wrapping paper. We had trouble finding a tree to buy to put up in our home and had to drive a long way to take our son to see Pere Noel. And you know what? I rather liked it because the emphasis was on family, not stuff.
ostranderblog said:
Paris for Christmas huh? 😉 I don’t think I’d talk hubby into it, but it sounds lovely. I think Christmas in Europe has a completely different flavor, one that is less commercial – though I too worry that is disappearing.
Maya Guesthouse Project said:
Thank you for you interest in our little straw bale hotel.
We used to live in Paris and Christmas is a very special time of the year.
Greetings from Switzerland
Lisa and Louis
rheabette said:
I would love to experience Christmas in Paris someday. Thanks for sharing the details — it sounds so lovely.
restlessjo said:
Always interesting to know what others get up to. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Joyeux Noel!
Trileigh said:
Lovely post, BecomingMadame. I really like all the sensory details! Did you take those beautiful photos yourself? (And thanks for “liking” my Natural Presence post, Soaring – that’s how I found you!)
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you! And thanks for stopping by! I took some of the photos, but I can’t proclaim to be the great photographer. Take care!
freebirdmani said:
Thank you Madame, for sharing the wonderful and amazing journey of the christmas from one to the next to the next place. I can imagine the feelings as I have seen Christmas mostly in Europe.
You bring the wonderful lil joys with the expressions you shared from US to CA to FR. Thank you and also, thank you visiting me.
Wishing you a wonderful happy new year ahead.
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement!! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and all my very best for 2012!
ardysz said:
Yes! Yes! Yes! I grew up in Southern Ohio and now live in Australia, but we were in Paris just before Christmas a few years ago. We just visited again in October. Love Paris. Loved reading your blog!
Theadora Brack said:
How did I miss this post? Your Paris pics are GORG! Especially the chocolate box. A box of Lindt treats is always the trusty (and affordable!) holiday gift. The packaging is always spot on. Presentation is everything!
blisstravelsnews said:
Great post. And great description of the wonderful French holiday traditions and foods. We had exactly this sort of time when we brought our clients to paris this Christmas!
Mama's Gotta Bake said:
Great article, thoroughly enjoyed it!
Kellie Kennedy said:
Thanks for checking out my blog. Loved your Xmas story.
One year my parents spent Xmas in Austria and loved it.
Just to experience Xmas in different parts of the world is very special. When I was in my 20’s I was an international f/a and had the chance to fly all over and see different cities and their traditions.
Pingback: Happy Holidays from Paris « Becoming Madame
Kimby said:
We are kindred souls in that I, too, “smell” my way through seasons, markets, kitchens, and holidays. Your descriptive writing is always a delight. Happy holidays!