Every country celebrates the New Year differently. Each inhabitant has his own traditions, which he observes. Someone celebrates with family, someone with friends, and someone flies to rest in another country. Most lovers want to celebrate the New Year in France, but not everyone knows the traditions and customs of the celebration.
So, you can make a list of traditions that are observed by the inhabitants of France from year to year.
1. In the country of Santa Claus, they call Per Noel. He gallops to the children on a donkey and leaves his gifts in specially prepared wooden shoes. If the child behaved badly throughout the year, then instead of a gift, he will find a rod.
2. Also one of the favorite traditions is the burning of a log, which is made of a special tree, usually a cherry tree. Adults pour cognac and oil on the log, and children set it on fire. It stands until the end of the celebration of the New Year. After, it is removed to a specially designated place, where it is stored for a whole year. The French believe that the coming year will be successful and fruitful.
3. Everyone knows that France is famous for its unsurpassed wines. It is no wonder that guilt is eulogized and clinked glasses with the best cask of wine in order to appease the so-called God of Wine and Fertility. This is done so that the grape harvest is large and sweet, so that the wine turns out to be excellent.
4. Residents celebrate the New Year with champagne. This is one of the common European traditions. But they continue the holiday with the best sort of wine. Also, a favorite alcoholic drink is added to certain dishes. This adds a unique taste to the product and maintains immunity in the proper form. The first day of the New Year is called "Gift Day".
5. The celebration of the New Year is usually held with friends, at a party. On the table, there must be pastries, a variety of salads, sweets, wine and meat dishes, which, often, are chicken or goose.
6. There should also be 13 desserts on the table. For the French, they symbolize the 12 apostles and Christ. Residents believe that in this way they receive a blessing for the whole coming year, therefore they honor the holy spirits and put desserts in their honor.
7. Do not be surprised if each of the 13 delicacies has the name that this or that apostle was called. It is also customary to put a New Year's cake on the table. It is baked in the form of a log. This is a kind of maintenance of the tradition of setting fire to the log.
8. You can see a Christmas tree where you wouldn't expect it. On the streets of the city, in all the cathedrals, in the courtyards of houses and in the houses themselves. Residents are very fond of brightly decorating the symbolic tree, because the more beautiful it is decorated, the better the year will go.
9. Also in the house you can see a lot of flowers. Their number is so overwhelming that sometimes it seems that they are everywhere, and even instead of festive dishes.
10. Tourists on this holiday get to see a lot of bright parades that are held every New Year. These are two days of unbridled fun and chic performances that attract the attention of not only the residents themselves, but also tourists from all over the world. Lots of entertainment shows, programs for families and children.
11. But the most important thing is the fireworks. This is the most striking sight in all of France. All residents and visitors gather to watch the fireworks, it happens that not everyone has enough space on the square and in the district. There is a fireworks display for about 30 minutes, it happens that they drag out up to 40 or even up to an hour. Winemakers celebrate the New Year with an exit to the vineyards, and at exactly midnight everyone must eat a grape in order for the year to be successful.
Author: Lili Petit.
Preschool teacher, International Children's Centre, France.
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