Seems strange even now...

Still have not quite got used to the French way of Christmas and New Year, they just do things differently to the UK, this despite the fact that we have been here almost eight years now.

The festive season starts much later with seasonal goods appearing in shops only really at the beginning of December, not like there as soon as the summer holidays end. shops and malls are decorated beautifully but differently and there is not a constant background noise of Christmassy type music playing over the PA systems.  Of course there are all manner of festive offerings especially chocolates and other chocolate products, I have never elsewhere seen hypermarket aisles dedicated to nothing but choccies in every shape, quantity and variety imaginable, it is almost mind-boggling.  Just thankful that I'm not a chocoholic otherwise I could overdose in a very short time!

The family Christmas begins around late afternoon on Christmas Eve, the shops have all shut by one o'clock.  Things are happening in many kitchens to prepare for the traditional Christmas Eve feast with the extended family assembled, for many the main feature will a huge seafood stew cooked carefully and lovingly by the matron of the house with as many different varieties of both fish and shellfish imaginable.  This would be preceded by fresh oysters, vast quantities will have been purchased that morning.

Following the main course of fish comes the inevitable cheese course which, despite France making more different cheeses than there are days of the year, will follow tradition and be either Brie or Camambert accompanied by what is called 'salade'.  Now that may look suspiciously like the English word 'salad' but there any resemblance ends for it is not a plate of various salad vegetables but just lettuce accompanied with a French dressing.  Next will be dessert, now very few French housewives ever cook a dessert but often is a an ice-cream based thing bought from the supermarket or more likely a truly magnificent tart or gateau from the local pattiserie, some of these offerings just have to be seen to be believed as they are true works of art, seemingly criminal to cut into them.

Finally coffee and perhaps some digestifs will follow, that's not digestives as in biscuits but a nip or two of coganc or armagnac just to settle the stomach.  The evening is not yet complete as it is traditional after dinner to exchange presents brought of course by Papa Noel.

Christmas Day itself is a continuation of the extended family theme centering upon a  huge lunch of multiple courses, including a fish and meat course accompanied by suitable wines.

Boxing Day, ah yes, there is no Boxing Day here, 26 December is just another ordinary day, another working day for most folk except that this year as it falls on a Monday where traditionally many shops and businesses do not open on a Monday there will be more people enjoying an extended Christmas holiday.  Boxing Day sales?  Umm, no!  All sales are regulated by the government and may only take place for two six week periods beginning mid-January and mid-July.  Don't ask - I have and as yet there is no satisfactory explanation, but this France after all.

New Year's Eve begins with shops closing around mid-day then the domestic pattern follows very closely on that of Christmas with the exception of exchanging gifts.  To general relief New Year's Day is a public holiday allowing recuperative space after the night before, usually a quiet-ish day before return to work the day after.

For ourselves we follow a more or less traditional English style Christmas, after all it is difficult to shake off  a very pleasurable and deeply ingrained habit of many years.  Rather odd really that this one still pertains as almost unwittingly we have adopted many Gallic ways, in fact if asked today whether we feel French or English the reply is invariably 'Frenglish' as we believe that we have have the best of both worlds ...