The major French festivals 5 minutes of French

Hi everyone Welcome to another episode of 5 Minutes of French Today I'm with Judith Hi Judith how are you Hi Émilie hi everyone I'm doing great thanks How about you Great And today we're going to talk about France's major festivals Christmas Easter May Day—these are significant moments whether you'religious or not Indeed but before we begin I have a quick question for you Émilie and for all of you listening in of course What do you think is the most celebrated holiday in France That is the one that brings together the most families A- Christmas B- July 14th C- Easter I'd say Christmas It's kind of the big family gathering of the year Noted we'll address that later So let's start with Christmas since we're mentioning it Yes in France Christmas is celebrated on December 25th but the festivities often begin as early as the start of the month The cities glow with lights the Christmas tree is decorated the nativity scene is set up and above all the New Year's Eve dinner on December 24th is prepared A meal often very generous featuring foie gras oysters smoked salmon chestnut-stuffed turkey and a Yule log In short enough to last through the entire winter Yes we often overestimate our appetite at the Christmas meal And of course there are the gifts which the children discover on the morning of the 25th Although Christmas originally began as a Christian holiday today it is celebrated by the vast majority of French people regardless of belief Exactly And a few days later we move on to New Year's Day also known as Saint Sylvester's Day That's when we gather mostly with friends to celebrate wishing each other a happy new year at midnight Then comes Easter which falls in the spring It's a significant religious holiday for Christians but for children it mostly means chocolate eggs Yes in France it's the church bells that bring the Easter eggs The legend says they return from Rome on Sunday mornings and leave chocolates in the gardens Children love going on egg hunts Then there's a very special celebration in France on May 1st Labor Day It's a holiday when people give out lies of the valley small white flowers believed to bring good luck It's true you'll find lily-of-the-valley vendors at every street corner on that day It's also a day of protest in defense of workers' rights Another key event is July 14 France's national holiday She commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789 a pivotal moment in the French Revolution On that day there is a major military parade on the Champs-Élysées attended by the President of the Republic And in the evening fireworks burst across every city creating a vibrant atmosphere of popular celebration And don't forget the music For several years now July 14 has also been linked to the popular dance event where everyone can dance and have fun And speaking of which there's also Music Day on June 21 It's the first day of summer and across France amateur and professional musicians are playing freely in the streets Yes it's a fairly recent celebration launched in 1982 but it has become a true tradition and spread worldwide Another example is All Saints' Day on November 1st when families honor their loved ones by decorating their graves with chrysanthemums It's a more modest more intimate celebration And of course there are also all the local and regional festivals—the Carnival of Nice the Fête de Nîmes and the Festival of Lights in Lyon Every region has its own traditions Ultimately French holidays are a blend of influences—some rooted in religion others in history and still others purely cultural Yet they all share a common thread—bringing people together and fostering connection Exactly And that's what matters most—sharing a moment together whether with family friends or even strangers Well let's go back to my initial question What is the most celebrated festival in France I said Christmas So am I right Spot on It's indeed Christmas that is the most widely celebrated festival in France Over 90% of French people say they take part in some way I suspected as much Christmas remains the ultimate family gathering occasion Alright before wrapping up a quick vocabulary note I used the expression "having eyes bigger than one's belly " In the context of a meal this means consuming more food than one can actually eat However this expression can also be used in any context in which case it means overestimating one's ability to do something Next I used the phrase "at every corner of the street " which is simply a way of saying everywhere And finally Judith used the expression "dead on the mark " It's an expression used to indicate that someone has given a good answer That's all for today And you what's your favorite holiday Do you have any special traditions in your country Let us know in the comments And as always you can download the PDF sheet with the transcript and vocabulary It's in the description or on our French website francaisavecpierre com Thank you all see you very soon Hi everyone