Category Archives: Customs

When Should You Use Tu or Vous?

Posted on 14/01/2018 by

Today, I revisit a topic that I covered when I first started this blog nearly eight years ago. It’s an aspect of French society and culture that perplexes Brits no end and whatever you do, there’s a fair chance that … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, Language | Tagged , , , , , , | 49 Comments

Getting a (Social) Life in France

Posted on 04/06/2017 by

Making friends is difficult when moving to a new country. Twenty years ago, our Brummie removal men asked, “Do you know anyone here?” When we said no, they shook their heads in disbelief. If you move to la France profonde, … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

French Flavours #3: C is for Cassoulet

Posted on 05/03/2017 by

I can’t allow the letter C to pass by without writing about cassoulet, the signature dish of southwest France. It’s been around for a long time and the correct recipe is the subject of controversy. What is it? A stew … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, Food/drink/recipes, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

10 French Christmas Traditions

Posted on 16/12/2016 by

Like every country in Christendom, France has a range of Christmas traditions, local and nationwide. I explore a few in this post. Christmas used to be lower key, less commercialised and of shorter duration than in the UK. During our … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

French Telephone Etiquette

Posted on 21/11/2016 by

Even after more than 19 years in France, I lift the receiver with apprehension when the phone rings. This is partly because it’s invariably a cold caller. It’s also because dealing with people on the phone in French is damn … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

Halloween Traditions, Ghosts and Witches in France

Posted on 31/10/2016 by

I don’t need to tell you what today is. Halloween has become more commercialised in recent years in France and traditions such as trick-or-treating have taken root. I hope we live far enough off the beaten track not to encounter … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Cantal le Beau

Posted on 30/09/2016 by

I’m never quite sure which destination appeals to me more: Cantal or Corsica. They are both mountainous and beautiful in their own way, but very different. Cantal, of course, is easier to get to, being only just over two hours’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Auvergne, Customs, Walking in France | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Pastis: A Quercy Speciality

Posted on 16/12/2015 by

Hands up everyone who thought pastis was an aniseed-flavoured apéritif. It is; but it’s not a local speciality here. The pastis I’m talking about is an apple dessert made with very fine pastry, which is particular to the Lot and … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, Food/drink/recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

How to Queue in France

Posted on 20/02/2015 by

  Forming a neat queue is inscribed in we Brits’ DNA. Not so our French counterparts. Our two countries are separated only by a 30-mile stretch of water, but in some respects it might as well be 30 light years. … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Rants | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

French Solstice Customs

Posted on 22/12/2014 by

  This post was written three years ago. This year, 2017, the solstice occurs at 4.28 pm GMT on 21st December. We’re in winter now, marked by a sharp frost and bright sunshine (hurray!). The winter solstice occurred today in … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, Customs, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Carol Services with the Choeur de Parisot 2014

Posted on 15/12/2014 by

Christmas carol services are a British import into France. The French have fewer Christmas songs and they don’t have a tradition of special carol services. However, it’s something they have enthusiastically embraced, even if they regard them as concerts rather … Continue reading →

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Things I Didn’t Know When I Moved to France: Part 1, the Positives

Posted on 25/05/2014 by

Now, you’re all thinking I’m going to complain about everything I’ve encountered in France since moving here 17 years ago. Not so. What follows in this post is complimentary; Part 2 (to be posted later) is less so. I’ve restricted … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Unexpected Finds About World War II at a Vide-Greniers

Posted on 22/05/2014 by

It’s that time of year again. You only have to park the car for five minutes and you find your windscreen bristling with flyers for vide-greniers (jumble sales). Around here, there’s at least one a week for the foreseeable future. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books/writing, Customs, History, World War I & II | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

May 1st – la Fête du Travail in France

Posted on 01/05/2014 by

  May 1st has a special significance in the French calendar, since it’s la Fête du Travail (labour day), when everyone downs tools. Even our local newsagent closes on May 1st, although it is open every other day of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

French and Corsican Easter Traditions

Posted on 18/04/2014 by

The celebration of Easter in France doesn’t diverge hugely from its counterpart in the UK, apart from the obvious religious differences. People consume large quantities of chocolate and Paschal lamb, for example. However, there are some traditions and customs that … Continue reading →

Posted in Corsica, Customs, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More French Superstitions

Posted on 30/03/2014 by

The post I wrote in November 2010 (is it really that long ago?) on French superstitions is the most popular I have written. So I decided to continue my researches and find some more for your delectation. Some were kindly … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Five Signs of New Year in France

Posted on 04/01/2014 by

First, a slightly belated Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you have a happy, healthy and peaceful year. Serial over-indulgence during the festive season followed by self-enforced repose has kept me away from blogging for a few days. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Midnight Mass in France

Posted on 26/12/2013 by

People celebrate Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve throughout France. We went this year to the service at l’Eglise Saint-Andéol in Parisot. Père Serge, the local priest, had asked for volunteers from le Choeur de Parisot to swell the ranks of … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Places | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

To Crèche or Not To Crèche

Posted on 21/12/2013 by

Political correctness sometimes verges on the downright barmy. France is a secular society, which is fair enough. Public employees in France are not permitted to display ostentatious symbols of religious affiliation, such as foulards (headscarves) or large crucifixes. These issues … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Places, Rants | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A French Country Upbringing

Posted on 28/11/2013 by

‘Of course, Occitan was my first language,’ our friend Georgette said. I was sitting next to her at an association lunch today. She has never talked much about her childhood but, once I had started questioning her (no one is … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History, Personalities, World War I & II | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Saint Catherine’s Day Customs

Posted on 25/11/2013 by

‘A la Sainte-Cathérine, tout bois prend racine.’ On St. Catherine’s Day (25th November) all wood takes root. This oft-quoted saying implies that the climatic conditions are right for planting trees and shrubs on that day. I’ll return to this below. … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, History | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Toussaint at Teysseroles

Posted on 30/10/2013 by

Toussaint (All Saints’ Day) on 1st November is a big religious event in France. French people honour their dead relatives and tidy and deck their tombs. Even if the church at Teysseroles is in poor repair, the cemetery is still … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History, Teysseroles chapel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Frog and Toad

Posted on 19/10/2013 by

  In culinary matters, the French and the British often compete about who first discovered a particular dish. A notable example is burn’t cream – crème brulée in French. Both countries claim to have invented it . Now, there is … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, Food/drink/recipes, History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

People-Watching at the Vide-Grenier

Posted on 28/05/2013 by

As a writer, I find people-watching fascinating. And what better place to do it than at a vide-grenier (car boot sale)? We had a stand at our local village’s effort last Sunday, which gave numerous opportunities to indulge in one … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

A Grave Issue

Posted on 10/02/2013 by

Sorry; I couldn’t resist the pun. Our local commune’s Bulletin Municipal (annual report) contains a lot of practical information. This year’s included an article about regulations relating to cemeteries. Now, none of us wants to dwell on our mortality but … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Teysseroles chapel | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

A Relic of French Legal Archaeology is Finally Buried

Posted on 07/02/2013 by

Vive la France! The French government recently repealed an archaic French law, dating back to 1799. The law in question prohibited women from wearing a certain item of male clothing. Waistcoats? No. Berets? Wrong. Ties? Not even those. The offending … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

French Christmas Quiz 2012 – the Answers

Posted on 28/12/2012 by

Now, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for throughout the Christmas holidays. Well, I can dream, can’t I? Here are the answers to this year’s Life on La Lune Christmas Quiz. I hope you enjoyed doing it. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, History, Quiz | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

French Christmas Quiz 2012

Posted on 23/12/2012 by

A very Merry Christmas to all my readers. Today we sat out to eat lunch under a cloudless blue sky, after several very gloomy, wet days. We hope to do the same tomorrow (Christmas Eve). The past few Christmases have … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Quiz | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Standing Room Only: Carols at Parisot

Posted on 17/12/2012 by

It’s raining, the world is going to end (again) on Friday and I haven’t done my Christmas cards yet. But a heart-warming event yesterday helped me to forget all that: our carol service at the church in Parisot. Even if … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Places | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Christmas Blog Hop: Carols at Cajarc

Posted on 12/12/2012 by

Today, my blog is taking part in a blog hop, organised by blogging chum Steph over at Blog in France. The idea is that you visit the participating blogs, whose owners will be posting about Christmas, expat-dom, writing or books … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 36 Comments