What is a typical French Christmas ? In fact there are many traditions and I will share with you what we do here at home.
In the photos you have the atmosphere... only the smells of cake baking and mulled wine are not there... but you can easily imagine!!!
Christmas in my family starts today, on Christmas Eve. The house has been decorated for several weeks and there are candles burning everywhere, in every room, on windowsills, in the flight of stairs.
This afternoon, by five, we will drink mulled wine or hot chocolate and eat French toast with mandarines and litchies. It helps us wait for dinner which will be after mass.
Family members will arrive at 7.30pm, some will go to mass with us and some will stay home as housesitters!! That's what I call them but the truth is that they don't want to come to mass!!!
Mass is at 9.00pm. It's always a beautiful mass. For me, Christ's birth is the reason why Christmas is important.
We will start dinner by midnight. On the menu this year, foie gras on toast and black olive tapenade on toast, raw oysters, and a salmon and spinach pie. As a dessert we're going to have our homemade "croustade aux pommes", which is a kind of apple pie. We will drink champagne only.
As you can see, there is no "buche de noël" which is the typical French dessert for Christmas!! So I guess my family has its own traditions!
My wife will play the guitar and sing. My daughters will play the flute and the clarinet and I, for the sake of everyone, will not sing!! :-)
Stitched in 2008. Model : Blackbird Designs.
The next day we will have a Kougloff for breakfast. It is a typical Christmas Alsacian cake.
We will open the presents that arrived under the tree when everybody was asleep. The presents at my house are only opened in the morning, never on Christmas Eve.
Christmas day will be at my wife's brother's house.
This year, with my daughter, we had decided to make something the guests could bring home. So, we made small labels, that can be used as ornaments. One has Joyeux Noël on it, one has Merry Christmas and the last one has Season's Greetings. They were fun to make and a good way to share some special time with my youngest daughter as well as a good means to get into the Christmas spirit...
I wish you all a blessed and peaceful Christmas. May your homes be filled with Christmas love and your hearts with Christmas cheers.
JOYEUX
Until later,
Love the way you celebrate Christmas David looking at your pictures.
ReplyDeleteYour presents will be much appreciated, they are just lovely.
Great to have musicians in your family, especially this time of year:))
We shall do the same at around 5 pm, by the fire, snowed in, what more do we want lol.
Joyeux Noël & Bonne Année
Merry Christmas to those who follow you in silence but greatly appreciates every new post
ReplyDeleteGreetings from tuscany- Italy
Carmen
J'ai adoré lire cet article, c'est comme un conte de Noël. Merci...
ReplyDeletePour nous, pas de Réveillon de Noël, si ce n'est que nous partagerons avec nos ados un petit repas composé uniquement d'un ou deux mets qui nous fait réellement envie (c'est presque chacun son "menu" mais ce n'est qu'une fois l'an !).
Demain, nous irons chercher mes tantes (veuves) et oncle célibataire afin qu'ils partagent avec nous le repas de Noël, je ne supporte pas que quelqu'un soit seul ce jour-là... Cette année, je recevrai également mes beaux-parents qui n'ont pas pu se rendre dans leur "résidence d'hiver" (Belle-Maman étant toujours en maison de repos suite à une fracture ouverte du tybia).
Et si nous avons été sages, le Père Noël aura déposé pour chacun de nous un paquet que nous n'ouvrirons que le 25.
Joyeux Noël !
Bisxxx
Chaque famille a ses propres traditions mais le plus important est que chacun soit entouré des siens avec beaucoup d' Amour, de tendresse et de sérénité. C'est pour nous aussi une soirée de recueillement pour ceux qui nous manquent tant.
ReplyDeleteJe vous souhaite à tous un très Joyeux Noël,
Isabelle
Quel délicieux Christmas at Home !
ReplyDeleteLe notre ressemble un peu au tien, la messe en moins...
Et nous n'ouvrons les cadeaux que le 25 au matin aussi !
La croustade aux pommes... veinard, va ! J'adore ce dessert bien de chez moi, mais je ne sais pas le faire moi-même. C'est qu'étirer la pâte n'est pas une mince affaire !
Merry Christmas to you and your family !
Hugs,
Sylvie
Very nice Christmas home and stories... Thanks for sharing! Your gift tags look cute! And I see a Japanese tea pot. I have one, too :)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you from The Netherlands!
ReplyDelete:o)
quel merveilleux Noël !
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas David from the PACIFIC NORTHWEST. The time spent with your youngest daughter will create great memories. Mary
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