On Christmas Eve, children leave their shoes by the fireplace to be filled with gifts from Père Noel. In the morning they also find that sweets, fruit, nuts and small toys have been hung on the tree.
Christmas
is a time for family and for generosity, marked by family reunions, gifts and
candy for children, gifts for the poor, Midnight Mass, and le Réveillon.
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 to bad
children (sort of the equivalent of Santa Claus giving coal to the naughty).Families once had a Three Kings Cake with a bean hidden in it. Whoever found the bean in their slice was made King, or Queen, for the day.
The children go out to look for the Kings, taking gifts of hay for the camels.
Another
name for this day is Twelfth
Day. It is the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas, which used to be one
long holiday. It was the last night of the Feast
of Fools before the Lord of
Misrule had to give up his crown and become themselves once again.
Once
dinner is over and the family has retired to bed, they leave a fire burning and
food and drink on the table in case the Virgin Mary calls in. Children leave
their shoes or wooden clogs called sabots in the hearth for the Christ Child or
Père Noel to fill. In
the north of France, children are given gifts on December 6, which is St.
Nicholas' Day, instead of Christmas Day. The adults give each others presents
on New Year's Day.
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