A bit of stereotypes, a bit of French culture

Today a little bit about New Year’s Eve in France. The French are organizing a dinner or even a festive supper with, among other things, champagne and foie gras. It could be a simple dinner with friends or a dance party. On New Year's Day, families and friends exchange New Year's greetings, make good resolutions, and sometimes exchange a few gifts (New Year's Eve). At midnight, French traditionally wish each other a Happy New Year by kissing under the mistletoe, then we go out into the street shouting "Happy New Year!" »And making a lot of noise (trumpets, horns, etc.). New Year's Eve is also the opportunity given to the President of the French Republic to transmit his presidential greetings in deferred broadcasting at 8 p.m. on the main French televisions from the Élysée Palace. Every year in Paris, many people gather on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées or under the Eiffel Tower, to celebrate the transition to the New Year with a few small fireworks. A lot o...

On December 24, the French have a special dinner called Christmas Eve celebrations. Usually with family, but also they sometimes invite close friends. Catholics go to mass before dinner. They often call this Mass the Midnight Mass because before it was traditionally at midnight but now it is no longer the case, it is rather around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. The Christmas meal is traditionally composed as follows. After the aperitif, they eat as a starter: oysters, foie gras, snails or smoked salmon. The main course is very often a turkey, accompanied by chestnuts and sometimes white or black pudding. Finally, the most popular dessert on the tables is the Yule log -  a cake with chocolate that has the shape of a log, that is, the cylindrical pieces of wood that we put in the fireplace to make a fire. They usually accompany the meal with good wines! So on the night of December 24th to 25th, Santa Claus pass to bring the gifts! He places the gifts at the foot of the tree and next to everyone's ...

Hello everyone! Today, I come to you with another sterotypes about Polish people. So let's go with the topic!            A large number of French people consider Poland to be land belonging to Russia. They do not distinguish this country as a separate territory. And it's not just the French who think so, other European countries do too. Poland has a border with part of Russia, which is called Kaliningrad Oblast, but the Polish state is not part of Russia, is independent and, like many other countries, belongs to the Union European. Not only do they consider Poland to be part of Russia, but they also say that in this country it is very cold like in Siberia. The temperatures are actually different from those of France, but it depends on the climatic zones in which these countries are located. However, it is not true that in Poland temperatures are low all year round, for example in summer the temperature can be very high, or also winter can be mild like ...

    Hello!  Today we will discuss the first well-known stereotype about Poles. Let's start!        When we ask a Frenchman about Poland, certainly the first statement about this nation would be that of being drunk like a Pole. Where does this expression come from? The etymology goes back several years and there are some theses on the exact period from which it originated. The most popular is the one we will see briefly. We have to look at the history of the Napoleonic era and even earlier, because in the 17th century, people used to say “drunk like a Swiss”. Then in the period of Napoleon Bonaparte, when the army rested between battles, Polish soldiers drank a lot of alcohol. Such a statement was then a compliment from Napoleon, admiring that Polish fighters could drink and not lose their minds - this expression would actually be a compliment indirectly given by Napoleon. Today, Poland is still associated primarily with alcohol, but this country is not...

Today there will be a post on December 6, Saint Nicholas Day. How is it in France with this day? On December 6, many homes in the North East of France celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. A celebration in homage to  Nicholas of Myra , which rewards children who have been good with an orange and gingerbread. From the evening of December 5, the children put down at the foot of the christmas tree, a glass of milk or mulled wine for Saint Nicholas and a carrot for his mule. In France, Saint Nicolas is celebrated in particular in Lorraine (the administrative region of Grand Est), in the Ardennes (the Grand Est region of northeastern France), Hauts-de-France (the northernmost region of France) and in Franche-Comté (the region of eastern France). Traditionally in Alsace, we taste the Männele, a brioche shaped like the saint . It is called Manala in the Haut-Rhin. It can be enriched with raisins or chocolate chips. Oranges and mandarins bring a sour flavor. On the night o...