“A Sweet Number for the Holy Family”
In Provence, after the big main course, families serve 13 desserts – representing Jesus and the 12 apostles. This is not a huge cake, but a table of symbolic small sweets.
The 4 “Mandatory” Groups:
Fun fact: Many families skip the 13 if they aren’t in the South – but everyone will argue about which desserts truly count. french christmas celebration part 2 new
“A Quiet, Lazy Morning”
Unlike the US, Christmas morning is not the main gift-giving moment (that’s for Les Enfants after mass, but many families now do gifts on the 24th). Christmas Day is for:
The traditional wooden chalet is getting a facelift. The new French Christmas market rejects the mass-produced Chinese tinsel in favor of Made in France craftsmanship. “A Sweet Number for the Holy Family” In
Ready to see this for yourself? Here is your 3-day nouveau itinerary:
Day 1 (December 23rd): Fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle. Skip the old Marché de Noël at La Défense. Instead, take the RER to the Marché de Noël Durable at La REcyclerie (18th arrondissement) — an old train station turned eco-village. Buy hand-carved wooden toys and chocolats bio.
Day 2 (Christmas Eve): At 4 PM, visit Le Grand Réveillon des Enfants at the Jardin du Luxembourg. Free storytelling of Le Père Noël des Voisins. At 8 PM, attend the digital light show at Sacré-Cœur — the basilica projects a “new” nativity scene using holograms. Fun fact: Many families skip the 13 if
Day 3 (Christmas Day): Do not look for open restaurants (everything is closed). Instead, join a promenade de Noël along the Coulée Verte (the Paris High Line equivalent). You will see families eating leftover bûche on picnic blankets. It’s casual, it’s new, and it’s wonderfully French.
Strictly speaking, this is Epiphany (January 6th), but for the French, Christmas doesn't end until la galette is eaten.
Want to execute this new vision in your own home? Here is the cheat sheet for the Nouveau Réveillon: