This week, we are going to watch some videos on religious/official holidays in France.
Today, I thought we’d start with a few the of the major Holidays.
Check out these videos about Christmas in France.
Noël en France (You don’t need to continue once they leave Paris)
Marché de Noël à Strasbourg (I’d wait for it to download and then skip the first 20-30 seconds) P.S. Annoying version of Silent Night- Sound off Advised!
And here are a couple about EASTER.
Islam is the second largest religion in France after Catholic. Check out Le Ramadan in Paris
Questions:
1) From what you’ve gathered from these videos and our discussions, compare Noël and Pâques in France to the way they are celebrated in the U.S.
2) Le Ramadan has often been compared to Lent. Tell me some ways in which they are similar and then how they differ.
3) What is the biggest holiday/celebration (Religious or Other) shared in your family? Tell me some of the things your family traditionally does during that holiday. (I would especially love some details if you come from a culture with other than the traditional catholic/christian holidays presented in our book!)
You may add a video of your mentioned holiday for extra credit! 😀
French 1412 TCCD 
1) In some places here, you can find some of the beautiful decor around buildings and trees, but, not as gorgeous and intricate…and the little markets and all the stores making it even better, im sur over here we have a few places that do that.
Their easter decorations, i wouldnt wanna eat half of it because it looks so pretty!
2)The not eating from sun up to sun down,and when they do eat they eat together as a family with each generation there and they are eating healthy
3)The biggest holiday celebration in my family is christmas, we all get together and go back to louisiana to my grandmothers house and have a big big meal that should last for the month, and then we all go to church and then when nightfalls we all separate according to age and find parties to attend or clubs to go to and finish celebratin the holiday!
1)Noel and Paques is celabrated differently in the US. In France it seems like they are more creative and het the wjole town involved to set the mood,Where as her for easter we just might see a rabbite here or there.There is also just plan choclate rabbites,no beutiful sculptuers.
2)
3) The biggest hoiliday in are familiy is x-mas and Thanksgiving. The whole fam. gets togeather and trades gifts and for thanksgiving we go around the circle saying things that we are greatful for and why.
001. Iceskating is a traditional passtime for Americans and the French during Christmas time. Also, just like American stores, French stores create beautiful Noël displays. Unlike Americans, the French love to eat oysters and goose pate during the holiday season. For Pâques, American and French parents spoil they’re children with easter candy, chocolate, and other gifts. Whereas its perfectly acceptable for Americans to buy they’re chocolate from grocery stores, the French think that Easter chocolate should come from Confectionary stores. Also, American children and French children both hunt for easter eggs.
002. Le Ramadan and Lent both involve sacrificing something in order to observe they’re religion. Unlike Ramadan, Lent only requires a person to give up one thing for the duration of the season. Ramadan, however, requires a person to give up any source of nurishment from sun up to sun down. Some Muslims even give up taking medication during Ramadan. Based on what I have learned, it seems as if Ramadan is more strict than Lent.
003. My family and I are all really in to Valentine’s Day. Every year we shower each other with gifts as if it were Christmas all over again. We give eachother Valentine cards, flowers, candy, clothes, jewelery, and gift cards. Also, we all go out for a Valentine’s dinner.
I found this video of Molly, a girl who has just as much Valentine’s spirit as my family and I! She loves Valentine’s Day so much that she passed out handmade Valentine’s to people around New York =)
I love the way Paris is lit for Christmas.
The holidays really don’t seem that different from the way they are celebrated here. As Ramadan really does not seem very different from the Christian holiday of lent, except the Lenton season last 40 days, and you simply give up a vice. True Catholics will revert to the “No meat on Fridays.” rule.
My family’s favorite holiday is Purim. It is the story of Queen Ester and how she saved the jews from being wiped out by Haman. You get dressed in costumes, and have noisemakers that everytime the Rabbi (when reading the story) mentions Haman’s name, you make as much noise as possible to drown out his name! We give gift baskets of fruit and share a cookie called a Hamantaschen. The most fun part is that one should get sooo drunk that you can not tell one name from the other!
This guy must take the drinking part serious!!!
1)The french i think have more stores filled with lights and outrageous clothing/shoes for christmas time. Then for easter they have tons of creative ways to buy chocolate. In the US we buy usually less expensive chocolate.
2) Ramadan give more sacrifices. They dont eat till the sun goes down. From sunset to sundown.
3) I believe the biggest holiday my family celebrates is Christmas. We have many traditions. To cook turkey, stuffing and other food with a peruvian style. Then we sing and stay till midnight for church and then for gifts.
1) In France they have noel markets and decarations that lit up the streets where families can get together and fun. However in America it is also a joyous time of year except when you get to shopping most americans spends a lot of money just to get a bunch of gifts while the French do not.
As for Easter children in France not only look for eggs they also look for easter baskets also they children recieve real chocolate from the chocolate stores then the normal grocery store.
As for the Americans we just buy easter eggs and baskets at walmart and the children just look for the easter eggs.
2) In both ramadan and lent the people both fast. However in ramadan the people fast just to be closer to god and have self-discipline, self-control sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate. As for lent the people fast for 40 days because Jesus and his disciples did it and it also prepares the people for the final hours of the life of Jesus.
3) well of the biggest hoilday our family manly celebrates is Thanksgiving because the family makes so much food from Turkey, ham, mac and cheese, greens, stuffing, and sweet potato pie. (Even though the next day my family and I are in the bathroom due to the fact we ate too much.)
DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS TECNICAL DIFFICULITES WITH MY COMPUTER I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHOW MY THANKSGIVING VIDEO.
1.] Both in the U.S. & France we celebrate Christmas by putting up a tree, decorating it, & having presents to unwrap. However, they eat a big meal the night before, then go to bed, where we eat on Christmas Day. I noticed in France though oysters are a popular thing to be eaten around Christmas time. I can’t really imagine most in the U.S. picking oysters over a turkey. Easter is celebrated in about the same manner in the U.S. & France. The kids get to go hunt for eggs & chocolate is very popular. However, while in the U.S. most of us just go to the grocery store & pick up some bags of candy or Russell Stover’s chocolate, the French have specialty chocolate shops where they get the chocolate for their kids. Instead of the Easter bunny, they have “flying bells” that visit Rome & come back, dropping their candy in the gardens & the kids have to go find it all, while some of our candy is already in the basket.
2.] Ramadan & Lent are very similar in that they fast for their religion with their families. When observing Lent, you give up only one vice, while Ramadan means giving up all vices. Some who observe Ramadan give up taking vitamins, also.
3.] The biggest holiday in my family is Christmas. The whole family gets together & goes to the midnight service at our church where we light candles & sing hymns in the darkened room, & the preacher tells the story of Jesus’s birth. Afterwards, we all go home, & everyone gets to open one present that night. The next morning we take all of the presents over to my grandparents’ house, & since it’s my grandma’s birthday as well, we sing her happy birthday. After everyone is there, we gather together & pray, everyone saying one thing they’re thankful for in the past year. Everyone eats, opens presents, then we just relax & enjoy time with the family.
1. First, I have never seen christmas lights sold on the streets. Ours are all boxed up and you never now if they’re working until you get home. There is an emphasis on quality over quanity in France. In the US we like lots of gifts despite the worth of the present. That’s true of Easter as well. Man our candy and treats never look that good unless your super rich. We just dye some eggs or get some plastic eggs and put cheap candy in it.
2. The biggest difference is with Lent the fasting doesn’t last that long. Also there is more time spent enjoying family and nutritious food.
3. The biggest holiday we do is Thanksgiving. It really import for us to reflect on the blessing that we have received. We usually say prayer before eating and each person goes around and share what they are thankful for. Usually before we eat we’re all in tears.
1. It see a lot of simlilarities between the two. But to me it seems as though there is much more to the holidays in other countries. Maybe we don’t really care that much for them anymore. I tend to see a little holdiay lights on houses during the season, but not as much as I did when I was a kid. I would love to be around France during Christmas, it’s colorful. Easter is the same as well, we only really celebrated it as a holiday when I was a kid, but not so much in the later years, whereas in France, everyone gets into it.
2. I will have to agree with most of the comments. With Ramadan, you fast much longer than you do in lent.
3. Christmas is definately the biggest celebration my family does. Again, we did more while I was a kid, but now all we do it eat, talk for a little bit and leave. We used to sing carols, have a HUGE gift opening circle which went fron youngest to oldest. We also had a pickle ornament on our tree, and whoever found it got a special prize like an extra present or money. Little things like that.
1) in France, i think they’re a bit more gaudy tacky about it. So many décorations everywhere and, my god, the chocolate. (i LOATHE chocolate.) and in the u.s., i think we’re more about quantity than quality whereas, in France, parents actually go out of their way to get EXPENSIVE chocolate for their children.
2) they’re similar in the aspect that both holidays deal with peoples vices and trying to abstain from it.
They’re different by their length of time and “restrictions.” With ramadan, you’re supposed to give up ALL vices and food from sun up ‘til sundown. Lent only requires that you give up “A vice” (or two) for 40 days and nights and no meat on Fridays. (in my opinion, lent is soooo much harder. Believe me, i tried it and it wasn’t a pretty sight to behold.)
3) Christmas eve is by far the BIGGEST holiday that is celibrated in my family. We usually al cram everyone into one house (usually my aunt’s house, because it’s the biggest). We usually arrive by 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and start eating. Everyone brings something. Our Christmas eve is a Mexican Christmas eve, so we usually have tostadas, arroz con pollo, langua, tomales, etc. and (my favorite part of the ENTIRE holiday season) margaritas. After everyone’s finished eating, watching movies on tv, playing scrabble, everyone opens their présents (this would be around 7 or 8 pm). Afterwards, some of us will form a little group and go to the cinemark down the road and watch a movie (parents treat, of course). Christmas is usually more toned down, and it’s a White Christmas: ham, turkey, meatloaf, mac’n’cheese, greenbean casserole, brocolli/rice/cheese casserole, etc. with sangria