Christmas in France is primarily a family occasion. With a lot of people travelling from all across the globe to celebrate Réveillon with their loved ones. UK is no exception. Many individuals go to France from UK to spend their Christmas holidays in a unique way with friends or family members.
The festivities beginning from early December go until early January, sounds amazing isn’t it? Every region celebrates Christmas with their own traditions. Here is all that you need to know to make the most of your French Christmas if you are fortunate enough to spend it in this beautiful country.
How to Celebrate Christmas in France?
It is a tremendous idea to spend your Christmas in France. You may not only try the exceptional Christmas food in France and explore its culture but also take a joyful plunge in Bain de Noël at Valras-Plage, marvel at Festival of Light (Fête des Lumières) at Lyon or shop at Strasbourg’s traditional markets.
There are several fantastic places in France where you may enjoy the inspiring delight and pleasure of Christmas. You may spend cheerful moments with your loved ones especially during the Christmas markets in France and any of its cities.
If celebrating Christmas is something that you love the most than you should consider visiting France. This year do not miss this chance for the magical experience of a lifetime. Christmas in France is truly the most amazing time of year with delectable feasts, charming traditions and magical markets. This is the way a true France Christmas is celebrated.
Marchés de Noel
One of the best parts of Christmas in France are the Marchés de Noel or the beautifully lit Markets. You can find these throughout the country from Provence to Normandy and Paris to Nice. The largest Christmas market is held in the Alsace region specifically in Strasbourg. In fact, Alsace is the place where first French Christmas market was established in 1570 and since then they have continued to spread the Christmas spirit.
Authentic French cuisine and handicrafts made by locals may be found in the fascinating wooden chalets. These beauties are embellished with dazzling lights and decorations. So what are you waiting for? Start preparing with all the arrangements including France visa from UK and get ready to rub your shoulders with locals. And do not forget to sip on some French mulled wine to make the most of your celebration.
L’Avent
L’Avent is generally referred to as the time spent in preparing and waiting for Christmas. In France the highly popular practice of Advent calendars starts the holiday season even before December. It’s not late yet start your application for France Schengen Visa UK as soon as possible to experience everything that this adorable country has to offer to you. Early December calendars are given to kids so they may look forward to opening their first window or door on December 1.
An excellent way to get excited and do the Christmas countdown is to get an Advent calendar which features a chocolate treat hidden behind window/door on each day until Christmas Eve on 24th December. Adults may even purchase Advent calendars that include everything from wine to candles within the boxes for your December countdown.
Christmas Tree Decoration
Ever since Alsace hosted the first Christmas tree decoration in the sixteenth century, Christmas trees became popular worldwide. These days the trees are decorated with sparkling ornaments, fairy lights and a star on top instead of the ribbons, apples and paper flowers that were used traditionally.
Père Noël
On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus also known as “Père Noël” in France, makes his way across the globe distributing gifts. French children used to load their shoes with carrots for Père Noël’s donkey and leave them by the fireplace, but these days it has been replaced with Christmas trees.
Père Noël is said to climb the chimney and leave behind the presents for good kids and on the Christmas morning children run there to see what Santa Claus bought for them. Families sometimes open these gifts on Christmas Eve post Réveillon. Some families begin their gift-giving session on 6th December which is St. Nicholas Day.
Letter from Père Noël
It is a tradition all across the globe to write a letter to Santa but he writes back in France. According to a law passed in 1962 in the country, kids who sent letters to Père Noël must get back a postcard. Since then postal services have been replying to several kids on behalf of Père Noël having continued this for four decades.
Fête des Rois
In France Christmas does not just end on December 25. Three Kings’ Day or Fête des Rois (known to Orthodox Christians as Epiphany) marks the formal end of the celebration. This day is commemorated in France with the traditional king cake or galette des rois.
Made of pastry filled with almond cream, the cake has a miniature baby figurine—a fève—hidden inside of it. Whoever receives the cake slice with fève inside is given the title of queen or king of the day. Most of the bakers even sell cake with the paper crown. It’s a beautiful tradition to close the Christmas season and it provides an even sweeter climax to a very pleasant two weeks of celebrations.
Midnight Mass
In France, Christmas Eve is when the traditional church service is held. Known as the Midnight Mass it often starts a few hours before midnight. People gather to pray and sing songs (called Chants de Noël) at churches and cathedrals across the nation. They celebrate the night that is said to be the birth of Jesus Christ. People go home after the ceremony to eat, sleep or open gifts (parents of excited children).
Réveillon
Let’s end this series of Christmas celebrations in France with one of the best (flavorful and delectable) Christmas traditions that is Réveillon.
Eaten generally on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day it is the largest feast of the season. It’s a lavish feast that is often offered either before or after midnight mass. Envision all the most exquisite French treats such as escargot, foie gras, oysters, goose, capon and Turkey…..Sounds Yum?
Réveillon is the best illustration of the French tradition of eating slowly and generously feeling the taste of every bite, if you ever heard about it. Friends and family spend hours together over delicious cuisine and fine wine.
And dessert of course! There are several varieties of fruits, nougat, and chocolates but the Yule log or bûche de Noël is the star of the evening dessert.
Is enjoying a traditional Christmas in France is on your bucket list this year? Do not delay, as it might take a few days to prepare for the trip and visa.
Online France Visa Application
To Apply for French Visa from London you will need to do careful preparation and will have to follow a few rules and regulations in order to secure visa successfully. Obtaining a France visa Appointment is the primary requirement to submit visa application. Other than this preparing well in advance, collecting all the necessary documents on time and following the process diligently, you may improve your chances of getting your visa fast and seamlessly.
Remember that situation for every applicant differs so it is important to check specific France Schengen Visa Requirements according to your individual needs and circumstances. Now as you know everything about the French Christmas celebrations and traditions, we recommend you to get in touch with the experts to apply for France visa so that you get in time for Christmas and execute your plan to celebrate it the way you wanted.
Conclusion
From homes to food and baby names to fashion there is no denying that the French have a really fantastic way of doing things.
While there are several similarities between other Schengen countries and French Christmas celebrations, few standout differences makes celebrating Christmas in France a true bliss and experience of lifetime. If you’re looking to add some cosmopolitan flair to your yearly festivities, you might consider trying the following French Christmas traditions on for size
If you want to give your annual celebrations a touch of the cosmopolitan flair, like the practice of Advent calendars, sipping on the best wine with amazing dessert during Réveillon than apply for your France tourist visa now and get ready to spend a wonderful time in the country for Christmas celebration in 2023.
FAQ’s
Let us understand the visa application process in 4 simple steps:
STEP 1. You complete the online application form by visiting https://www.visaforfrance.co.uk/.
STEP 2. They book your France visa appointment from UK within a week with the TLS Visa Centre.
STEP 3. You visit the visa centre with all the required documents (as explained by them) and submit your biometric details like finger print and digital photo.
STEP 4. Get your passport and visa directly through TLS either via courier or you can collect it yourself from TLS centre. But you have to choose the option on the day of your appointment.
Yes, you will need to apply for a France visa if you are not a UK citizen and living with a residency permit and planning to visit France unless:
1. You are a citizen of one of the Schengen nations or an EU/EEA citizen.
2. If the country you belong to has a visa liberalization agreement with the Schengen region.
3. You will not stay in the UK for longer than 90 days and are an Australian, New Zealand, US OR Canadian citizen.
All foreign nationals wishing to apply for French visa from London must possess a valid resident permit for visa approval.
Yes, a France visa appointment can be cancelled in some avoidable circumstances, but the service charges will not be refunded
The approval time for a France visa may vary depending on the time of the year, type of visa and complexity of your visa application. Generally, processing time ranges between 8-10 working days, though it can sometimes take longer in rare circumstances or for some nationalities it takes around 15 days’ time. Get in touch with us to know more about it.
Yes, if you want a France tourist visa from UK you must book an appointment at the TLS visa centre where generally it is very difficult to find available dates for even months. However with our years of expertise, we can book the express dates on your behalf in TLS centre.
The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your planned trip and as late as one week prior to your trip. However, we always advise you to apply at least 2 weeks in advance to avoid any last-minute hassle. Hence it is the right time to apply if you are planning to celebrate Christmas in France.
Validity of France Schengen visa depends on several different factors including whether you are applying for the first time or you already have had multiple Schengen visas in the past.
France generally gives visa for 3 months to 2 years or sometimes even with longer validity but maximum that you can stay is 90 days in a single trip.
https://www.visaforfrance.co.uk/ charge you a nominal France Visa Fees of £249 which includes their charges plus the TLS charges to book appointment on your behalf within a week which is generally not possible to get so quickly or with anyone else and by yourself as slots are full all the times.
