The Magical French Holidays of My Childhood.
Food over gifts.
"Reveillonner" is a verb meaning : “To attend a long dinner at Christmas or New Years Eve and stay up through the night”. Haha, I love that verb and just like it’s difficult to translate, it’s challenging to give a real sense of what it feels like to live the holiday traditions in France… It seems to me that in America, the main emphasis is on gift giving but I would say that where I grew up, it’s the food that is, above all else, the main attraction!
Christmas eve, 1993. Wattrelos, France.
The holiday feasts are one of my top pleasures in life. Let me tell you that as much as I do love giving and receiving gifts, there is nothing more exciting than tasting the wonderful delicacies of the season. Each region has been cultivating culinary specialties for centuries. Blending it all to experience the most exquisite meal of the year creates in you a certain pride and a true appreciation for the heritage. I love the fun element of surprise around the table when dishes are thoughtfully prepared. Because knowing in advance which foods will be served at the holiday table is just too boring! No, let us be surprised! Let the visual appeal open your appetite and may the care in the preparation satisfy your adventurous palate. It’s about the taste, the texture but also the history of the product and the climate of the region… all the details that take a meal to the next level.
Each Holiday season, it’s a delight to discover what will be served. And because dishes very much follow trends, as in fashion, (Trends life expectancy is about 5 years…) you, as a guest, will undoubtedly be eating the hundreds version of the new dish of the moment! This year, I see a lot of mini croissants, eclairs or other pastries being served as hors d'œuvres! I may need to try…
This French Magazine shares the recipe!
In order for you to dive into the real feelings of the French Holidays, let me share with you this episode of one of my favorite shows: “Les Carnets de Julie”. Julie is a famous food critic and in this episode, she invites a dozen people from all over France to gather around her Christmas table. They each come with their regional specialty product or dish. Even if you don’t understand French, you can see the passion they have for quality ingredients and the pleasure it brings them to gather around the table. I love that episode!
It’s worth noting that it’s not common to celebrate Christmas with friends over there. That holiday is mostly reserved for families.
Le Noël des régions - Les Carnets de Julie
The other tradition that has me seriously miss Europe at Christmas time is the Christmas markets! The most famous and magical one is located in Strasbourg, at the German border. But hundreds of towns through France have their own! The typical wooden chalets, as you see in this picture, are your assurance of merry times around a glass of hot wine and friends. One of the best community building event of the year. Most of these events have be taken from us this year…
Before I leave, let me drop here a link to the best and fanciest gift of the season; A foie gras gift box by Aurelien Dufour, a French chef located in New York. I can attest of their prompt shipping and delicious charcuteries!
If you enjoyed reading about the holidays in France, please sign up to my newsletter! Next week, I will write about the beautiful jewelry I fell in love during my last trip and give you a sneak peak of what’s to come for the store.