What is _______ like in France?

As you all know, the month of December has now passed and we are now in the year 2011. This means I have now experienced two special holidays in a different country, something I have never done before. Many people asked me, "What is Christmas like in France?" or "What is New Years like in France?" My answer is that well, it really isn't that different. Sure there are small little traditions that may differ from my home in America, but at the end of the day, France celebrates these holidays just like we do. The only thing that I found really different was that I didn't have my family, and that made the holidays seem just about non-existent. Besides that though, I am sure you all want to know the little traditions that the French have for these holidays, so I will share.

Christmas music:

This is about non-existent in France. The French will argue this one with me and say, "NOn NOn NOn... we have "Petit Papa Noel!" But see, that is the point.. THAT IS THE ONLY SONG THEY HAVE! and it is AWFUL! So in order to lift my December holiday spirits this year, I wasn't able to turn to Sunny 102.3 and hear Jingle Bell Rock, but my dear Melissa Hernandez sent me a wonderful list of all the Christmas classics, and I did get to stroll down the streets, listening to Jingle Bell Rock, with a smile on my face.

Christmas decorations:

Yes, the French do put Christmas trees in their houses/apartments, but ALL the trees are soooo tiny and usually deformed haha. I assume this is because the French, in Lyon at least, typically don't have houses with large windows to show of their gorgeous large evergreens, and it isn't necessarily an easy task to maneuver a large and pretty tree up the tiny elevators to French apartments.

As far as Christmas lights go.. some people do participate, but you aren't going to find a neighborhood where all the houses have participated in some sort of Christmas light competition or synchronized tradition so that people can drive around and admire the beautiful Christmas decorated houses.

Christmas dinner:

So the big grocery advertisements during Christmas time in France are "foie gras" and salmon. The French eat these two items as appetizers on bread with butter or lemon juice. Foi Gras is probably one of the most disgusting things you can ever eat. It is a spread made from the liver of either a goose or duck that has been force fed.. do you understand what this means? Poor birdies had food shoved down their throats over and over again to get fat. I found on wikipidea that in 2004, California prohibited the act of force feeding birds for the purpose of enlarging the bird's liver beyond normal size, as well as the sale of products that are a result of this process. Crazy, huh? AND I ate this crap!!! I assure you though, only once, cause I refused after.

As a main dish, they usually eat some sort of fancy meat. I have never been one to really appreciate meat, and to be honest, I really don't care, but the meat I had on Christmas was AMAZING. I don't know what it was, but apparently it was really expensive. 4 of us ate, and I think the meat we all ate cost about 80 or 90 EURO total.. wow.

My Christmas day was pretty much awful.. I mean, I don't want to be ungrateful because my good friend Mathéa invited me over for Christmas dinner at her momma's house in Swizterland, but the thing is that I spent maybe a total of 4 waking hours with them. Half of my Christmas Eve and 3/4 of my Christmas day were spent in a train station. All trains to Lyon kept getting canceled and there was one point where I seriously thought that I was going to have to sleep in the freezing cold train station. I was crying, I was shivering, it was not fun. But once I finally got to Lyon, I got to call/skype my family and see everyone, and that was really nice =)

New Years in France.

Throughout my life on New Years day, I always wondered during different hours of the day which countries have already reached the new year.. hehe and this year, I was in a different country. It was totally weird. I called my mom when it was midnight here and it was only 3 o'clock in the afternoon in California... still 2010. Hehe just a weird idea. I had a very nice New Years though. I was treated to a ballet at the Lyon Opera and then came home to make Mexican food!! mmmmm! =)

French New Years traditions:

Eat a Gallete des Rois. This is a puffed pastry cake-like thing with marzipan in the middle!!! MMM! = Almond paste. So when you buy one of these pastries, it comes with a paper king's crown because inside the dessert is a surprise and whoever finds the surprise become the king of the night! lol and guess what... I FOUND THE SURPRISE!!!! too bad it was a creepy ceramic virgin Mary haha.. but I became the queen, and that's all that matters ;)

Unfortunately France doesn't have New York city, meaning there is no giant shiny ball that drops to the new year, so that was a little disappointing, but no big.. That is one of those things I think we take for granted in the U.S.. I mean, its super cool to be able to turn on the T.V and count down to the new year with millions of other people!! haha and when you don't have it, it sort of lowers the excitement of a new years celebration.

Now that all the holidays are over, I am a bit relieved. It was a fun experience, but I wouldn't choose to celebrate these holidays away from home again. New experiences like these are necessary so that we can appreciate what we have and also so that we can celebrate with our traditions on an even greater scale next time we are home! hehe =)

I hope you all have a great year! This is the year I come back home!