jeudi le 20 décembre Meilleurs vœux !

Season's greetings! Happy holidays! TOYS DUE!!!F 1: Re-tests. Body due for 50% only if absent. Borrowed words “C” due for 90%. FINISH ANY ORAL GRADES!

F 2: Re-tests APT 45-47 due for 50%. PreAP: Borrowed words sentences for 90%. Verb quiz moved to after break.ALL: FINISH ANY ORAL GRADES!

F 3: Finissez la FABLE, APT pgs. 33-34 – 50% DVD & Les chansons!!! Joyeux Noël & Bonne Année!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xolN0xgPNKMWindow licking at the Galleries Lafayette

French Christmas Traditions 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, la fête de Saint Nicolas, and in some provinces la fête des Rois* is one the most important holidays of the Christmas season. In Lyon, 8 December is la Fête de lumières, when they pay hommage to the virgin Mary by putting candles in their windows to light up the city.

Epiphany (la fête des Rois) is usually celebrated the 6th of January, but in some places in France it is celebrated the first Sunday after January 1st.French children put their shoes in front of the fireplace, in the hopes that Père Noël (aka Papa Noël) will fill them with gifts. Candy, fruit, nuts, and small toys will also be hung on the tree overnight. In some regions there's also Père Fouettard who gives out spankings/sticks to bad children (sort of the equivalent of Santa Claus giving coal to the naughty). French children hope for gifts on and around the Christmas tree (le sapin de Noël) for when they awake on Christmas morning.

http://www.santas.net/frenchchristmas.htm

La crèche• An important French tradition is to display une crèche somewhere in your home. This tradition is most popular in the

area of Provence. La crèche is a pretty arrangement of little buildings and figurines surrounding the Christmas crib. The figurines are called SANTONS: The Baby Jesus - L'Enfant JésusMary and Joseph - Marie et Josephthe shepherds - les bergersthe angels - les angesThe Three Kings - Les Rois Magesthe animals - les animauxvillage people - les habitants d'un village

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In la crèche, the figurines of the village people represent lots of different professions, for example:- le boulanger - the baker, le fermier - the farmer, le chasseur - the hunter, la lavandière - the washer woman. There is also a figurine called le ravi, meaning 'the delighted one', and he always has his arms raised to express his delight.Some figurines are placed in la crèche later than the others:- The figurine of Jesus is placed in His manger on Christmas Day. The figurines of The Three Kings appear on the night of 5 January. It is the tradition in France to display the Nativity scene until the 2 February - a date known as La Chandeleur, when they have crepes! This date is forty days after Christmas Day.

Le Réveillon

Le Réveillon de Noël is Christmas Eve dinner. At around midnight, French families eat a special meal to celebrate the very beginning of Christmas Day. It can last up to 6 hours & include 8 courses!Bon appétit! Although fewer and fewer French attend la Messe de Minuit 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 .

Les desserts• La bûche de Noël (Yule log) - A log-shaped cake made of chocolate and chestnuts.

Representative of the special wood log burned from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day in the Périgord, which is a holdover from a pagan Gaul celebration.

• Buche de Noel- http://frenchmoments.com/Recipe_Buche_de_Noel.html Une recette: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xafOw1PuSBk

Treize desserts (in Provence) - nothing like going a little overboard during the holidays. The desserts are mainly regional products: fresh fruit (oranges, pears, melon), dried fruit (dates, figs), nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds), quince paste, nougat (white or black), wrapped candies, and olive oil bread, but don't forget about the Yule log.

• La Galette des Rois (on Epiphany) - round cake which is cut into pieces and distributed by a child, known as le petit roi or l'enfant soleil, hiding under the table. Whoever finds la fève - the charm hidden inside - is King or Queen and can choose a partner.