Mot du Jour – 12/15/11
Joyeux Noël! Merry Christmas! 
Can you believe another year is about to end, and we are again at Christmas time? Many people think of this time as a break from notre travail (our work) or l’ecole (school), or a time to give and get les cadeaux (gifts) that they will use for a while, and forget that this is the time that we should really concentrate on nos familles (our families) and la naissance de notre Sauveur (the birth of our Savior).
The photo above is from my church’s float in the Apex Christmas Parade , and it was 
beaucoup de plaisir (a lot of fun ) I was part of the singing band, singing chants de Noël (Christmas carols) with les anges (the angels).
In France, Christmas is a time for family and for generosity, marked by family reunions, gifts and candy for children, gifts for the poor, Midnight Mass, and le Réveillon.
The celebration of Christmas in France varies by region. Most provinces celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, which is a bank holiday. However, in eastern and northern France, the Christmas season begins on 6 December, with la fête de Saint Nicolas (Feast of St. Nicholas), and in some provinces la fête des Rois (Epiphany) is one the most important holidays of the Christmas season, celebrated on or around the 6th of January. In Lyon, the 8th of December is la Fête de lumières (Festival of Lights), when Lyonnais pay hommage to the Virgin Mary by putting candles in their windows to light up the city. French children put their shoes in front of the fireplace, in the hopes that Père Noël (aka Santa Claus) will fill them with gifts.
Although fewer and fewer French attend la Messe de Minuit (Midnight Mass) on 
Christmas Eve, it is still an important part of Christmas for many families. It is followed by a huge feast, called le Réveillon (from the verb réveiller, to wake up or to revive). Le Réveillon is a symbolic awakening to the meaning of Christ’s birth and is the culinary high point of the season, which may be enjoyed at home or in a restaurant or café that is open all night. Each region in France has its own traditional Christmas menu, with dishes like goose, chicken, capon, turkey stuffed with chestnuts, oysters, and boudin blanc (similar to white pudding).
French & English Tutor 
English Lessons, Cary, NC
