December 16th, 2011 | 
Author: Boxing Day may pretty much signal the end of the Christmas season over in the UK, with New Year’s Eve nothing much more than an excuse to get totally inebriated and pay extortionate door fees. No wonder so many people choose to go away, immersing themselves in the traditions and cultures of other countries while effectively prolonging Christmas.
France is a great place for a New Year break. It isn’t not far away, most of us can speak some pigeon Franglais and their festivities last until January 6th – so why not plan a French holiday? Hop on a ferry, the Eurostar or drive yourself after Christmas and enjoy another week or so of Noel, Gallic-style!
The festivities begin on New Year’s Eve, known in France as la Saint Sylvestre. During this time, some adults open gifts then all enjoy a huge, luxurious feast (le Reveillon de la Saint Sylvestre) – which typically includes oysters, champagne and foie gras. Many restaurants and hotels will be taking bookings for this; alternatively, you could buy tickets to a ball or wangle an invitation to a family dinner.
If partying is much more your style, then rest assured that the French love to celebrate and there may well be fireworks displays and parades in the street, enabling party-goers to welcome in the new year. As the clock strikes midnight, revellers sing ‘Chanson du nouvel An’ and an adapted ‘Auld Lang Syne’ called ‘Coral des Adieux’.
Of course, there are lots of other activities and events taking place. In the Dordogne, there is a New Year’s concert in Le Lardin-Saint-Lazare; fusing rock, pop and soul music. For the more active or those with young children, there is outdoor ice skating in Perigueux and Sarlat. For a more salubrious evening’s entertainment, how about dinner and jazz in Tremolat?
New Year’s Day is known as Le Jour des Etrennes - the day of presents. As well as being a time where French people wish their nearest and dearest the best for the year ahead, it is a day filled with the exchanging of gifts or cards. Outside the home, most shops and businesses are closed, though cafés may be open in tourist areas in the bigger cities.
The twelfth night, January 6th, is Epiphany, where the Wise Men are remembered. The cutting of a cake – the galette du Rois – signals the end of the holiday period. The person who finds a trinket in this traditional pastry cake, filled with frangipane, is crowned king or queen for up to the next two weeks and is treated as such.
Other cakes that are enjoyed during this time are ice cream logs (gateau glacé) and heart-shaped cakes. These are decorated with good luck charms and symbols of winter, such as bells, chocolate coins, birds or evergreen trees. Yum!
The French certainly know how to throw a good celebration and their world-renowned cuisine means that a New Year break in France will be a treat for the stomach, too!
Make it one of your New Year’s resolutions to visit France, it’ll be one of the few worth keeping!
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