A French Christmas

le vent écrie avec la joie

les bonnes nouvelles qu'un roi est né

Son nom est le roi de gloire

et Il épargnera Ses gens de leurs péchés

chanter les chants de noël de Noël avec nous

et célébrer ensemble

le jour de Noël

Joyeux Noël!

In English, that means,

Hello my dear

The wind cries out with joy

at the good news that a King is born.

His name is the King of glory

and He will save His people from their sins.Sing Christmas carols with us

and celebrate together

Christmas day.

Merry Christmas!

December 6 is the first day of the Christmas celebration according to French tradition. It runs through New Years Day. On either December 6 or Christmas Eve, children leave their shoes in front of the fireplace hoping that père Noël, or Father Christmas, will put gifts and treats in the shoes. In some places, le petit Jésus brings the gifts. In some areas, père Noël returns again on Christmas Day.

Puppet shows and reenactments of Jesus birth can be seen on Cathedral lawns. Midnight Mass, or masse de minuit, is an important French Christmas tradition. Then after Midnight Mass a Christmas feast is held called le reveillon. Foods that are served depend on the region. However, the Yule Log, or Bûche de Noël, is a big part of French Christmas tradition. Traditionally, the yule log is a log that is burned in the fireplace from Christmas Eve until New Years Day and a small piece of the wood was used on the plough to bring luck with the harvest. A Christmas Log cake is also baked. It is traditionally a chocolate cake. Recipes for the Bûche de Noël, or Yule Log cake, can be found at Easy French Food and About French Food.

On the Twelfth Night, children would go to meet the Wise Men taking gifts to baby Jesus. They would give the wise men food to eat with extra for their servants. They would then eat the Cake of the King. A recipe for the Cake of the King can be found on About Southernfood.com because French settlers took the tradition to the New World where it became part of New Orleans Mardi Gras. A charm is hidden in the cake. Whoever finds the charm is the king that year.

A favorite French decoration is the creche. It is a nativity with the baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, but local friends and neighbors are also carved and added to those visiting the baby Jesus.

Resources for Christmas in France
http://french.about.com/cs/culture/a/christmas.htm

http://www.santas.net/frenchchristmas.htm

http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/france.html

http://french-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/christmas_in_france

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/yulelog.htm

http://www.easy-french-food.com/yule-log-cake-recipe.html

http://southernfood.about.com/od/cajuncuisine/r/bl00101.htm