La Belle Vie: Seafood banquets, singing the Marseillaise and France's fiercest local rivalries
From encouraging your French friends to stop switching to English and the history of the national anthem to why you might get a hamper from your French town hall this Christmas, our weekly newsletter La Belle Vie offers you an essential starting point for eating, talking, drinking and living like a French person.
La Belle Vie is our regular look at the real culture of France – from language to cuisine, manners to films. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to newsletter preferences or adding your email to the sign-up box in this article.
If you have been watching Les Bleus push their way forward during the soccer World Cup you have likely come in contact with the French national anthem. I cannot imagine starting to sing "Oh, say can you see..." after watching Team USA score a point, and I've never heard my British friends spontaneously break into "God Save the King", but in France it is very normal to hear French people singing their national anthem while watching a sporting event in a crowded bar.
And when you listen to the French national anthem, some of the lyrics might surprise you a bit, for example the call for “impure blood to soak our fields”.
La Marseillaise: All you need to know about the French national anthem
While everyone sings the national anthem in support of the French team, football is still a source of rivalry within France.
There are huge feuds between French cities over the sport, like Lille v. Lens and Lyon v. Saint Etienne. These rivalries sometimes even get violent, but football is not the only way the French compete against one another.
Some rivalries have to do with food, and others have to do with regional history going back centuries.
Cassoulet to cider: Where are France’s fiercest local rivalries?
But regardless of who you support, singing along to the Marseillaise might help get you in the mood to speak a little French, and it is really intimidating to speak French out loud when you are first learning. Once you've managed to say something out loud, the fear creeps in - did I misspeak? Did I mispronounce that word? Do they understand what I am trying to say or do I just sound silly? When the response comes back in English, it is easy to feel dejected.
This is a really common dilemma for foreigners trying to learn French, so The Local spoke with French language expert and founder of French Today Camille Chevalier-Karfis to learn some tips on how to politely encourage your French friend to continuez à parler français, s'il vous plaît.
Language dilemmas: How can I stop French people switching to English?
Speaking French aloud is difficult, but French grammar is another beast in itself. One of the things I was most thankful for this year around the Thanksgiving table was the translation website DeepL.
But translation devices only go so far - usually, these websites or applications fail to pick up on slang terms, and they definitely are not up to date on inclusive writing.
While inclusive writing is still a bit controversial in France, it is being used more and more, so it is worth at least attempting to understand it. Here is your starting point:
What is ‘inclusive writing’ and what does it mean for French noun rules?
As France approaches the Christmas and New Year holidays, you might have seen a new French expression floating around, which describes one of my favourite French Christmas traditions: the giving out of "colis des ainés," or sometimes called "colis de Noël."
These are the food-filled hampers often given to the elderly during the holiday season as an act of solidarity from the local town hall. It is a French tradition that dates back to the 1940s and while it is not technically a legal requirement, it happens in many localities across the country. You might even qualify for one of these special baskets.
Why French mayors give out food hampers at Christmas
And finally, if you are looking to celebrate an authentic French Christmas this year, that likely means you will be purchasing a lot of seafood to enjoy on Christmas Eve.
Tradition dictates that the French eat seafood - whether that be oysters, mussels, or even lobster and crab - on December 24th, but have you ever wondered why that is? The history is quite interesting, and I for one am very excited to partake. I'll be celebrating the holidays in Brittany this year, and I have no qualms in staking my claim in a certain French rivalry - that Brittany is home to the best seafood in France. Bon appetit!
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La Belle Vie is our regular look at the real culture of France – from language to cuisine, manners to films. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to newsletter preferences or adding your email to the sign-up box in this article.
If you have been watching Les Bleus push their way forward during the soccer World Cup you have likely come in contact with the French national anthem. I cannot imagine starting to sing "Oh, say can you see..." after watching Team USA score a point, and I've never heard my British friends spontaneously break into "God Save the King", but in France it is very normal to hear French people singing their national anthem while watching a sporting event in a crowded bar.
And when you listen to the French national anthem, some of the lyrics might surprise you a bit, for example the call for “impure blood to soak our fields”.
La Marseillaise: All you need to know about the French national anthem
While everyone sings the national anthem in support of the French team, football is still a source of rivalry within France.
There are huge feuds between French cities over the sport, like Lille v. Lens and Lyon v. Saint Etienne. These rivalries sometimes even get violent, but football is not the only way the French compete against one another.
Some rivalries have to do with food, and others have to do with regional history going back centuries.
Cassoulet to cider: Where are France’s fiercest local rivalries?
But regardless of who you support, singing along to the Marseillaise might help get you in the mood to speak a little French, and it is really intimidating to speak French out loud when you are first learning. Once you've managed to say something out loud, the fear creeps in - did I misspeak? Did I mispronounce that word? Do they understand what I am trying to say or do I just sound silly? When the response comes back in English, it is easy to feel dejected.
This is a really common dilemma for foreigners trying to learn French, so The Local spoke with French language expert and founder of French Today Camille Chevalier-Karfis to learn some tips on how to politely encourage your French friend to continuez à parler français, s'il vous plaît.
Language dilemmas: How can I stop French people switching to English?
Speaking French aloud is difficult, but French grammar is another beast in itself. One of the things I was most thankful for this year around the Thanksgiving table was the translation website DeepL.
But translation devices only go so far - usually, these websites or applications fail to pick up on slang terms, and they definitely are not up to date on inclusive writing.
While inclusive writing is still a bit controversial in France, it is being used more and more, so it is worth at least attempting to understand it. Here is your starting point:
What is ‘inclusive writing’ and what does it mean for French noun rules?
As France approaches the Christmas and New Year holidays, you might have seen a new French expression floating around, which describes one of my favourite French Christmas traditions: the giving out of "colis des ainés," or sometimes called "colis de Noël."
These are the food-filled hampers often given to the elderly during the holiday season as an act of solidarity from the local town hall. It is a French tradition that dates back to the 1940s and while it is not technically a legal requirement, it happens in many localities across the country. You might even qualify for one of these special baskets.
Why French mayors give out food hampers at Christmas
And finally, if you are looking to celebrate an authentic French Christmas this year, that likely means you will be purchasing a lot of seafood to enjoy on Christmas Eve.
Tradition dictates that the French eat seafood - whether that be oysters, mussels, or even lobster and crab - on December 24th, but have you ever wondered why that is? The history is quite interesting, and I for one am very excited to partake. I'll be celebrating the holidays in Brittany this year, and I have no qualms in staking my claim in a certain French rivalry - that Brittany is home to the best seafood in France. Bon appetit!
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