Tag Archives: social customs

Getting a (Social) Life in France

Posted on 04/06/2017 by nessafrance

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 aperitifs, French social customs, la France profonde, living in France, rural life, social customs, social life in France, SW France, Teysseroles | 9 Comments

Halloween Traditions, Ghosts and Witches in France

Posted on 31/10/2016 by nessafrance

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 Belcastel, Château de Belcastel, French superstitions, Ghost stories, Halloween, social customs, supernatural, superstition, SW France, Witchcraft in France, witches | 9 Comments

How to Queue in France

Posted on 20/02/2015 by nessafrance

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 French culture, living in France, queuing, queuing in France, social customs, SW France | 19 Comments

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

Posted on 25/05/2014 by nessafrance

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 etiquette, France, French health system, French local government, living in France, patrimoine, social customs, SW France | 35 Comments

May 1st – la Fête du Travail in France

Posted on 01/05/2014 by nessafrance

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 Fête du Muguet, Fête du Travail, Labour Day, Lily of the Valley, May 1st, Muguet, social customs | 4 Comments

Toussaint at Teysseroles

Posted on 30/10/2013 by nessafrance

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 All Saints' Day, chapelle de Teysseroles, church restoration, patrimoine, religious customs, social customs, SW France, Toussaint | 10 Comments

A Grave Issue

Posted on 10/02/2013 by nessafrance

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 cemeteries, Chapelle de Teysserolles, etiquette, French funeral customs, graveyards, social customs, SW France | 16 Comments

Burning Desires: Enleveurs de Feu in France

Posted on 22/01/2012 by nessafrance

The old year didn’t end terribly well for me since I managed to burn three fingers of my right hand while removing a metal oven tray from a very hot oven, using a holed and damp oven glove. I couldn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Personalities | Tagged burns, Christian Signol, Enleveurs de feu, Healing, social customs, SW France | 2 Comments

All fêted out

Posted on 24/08/2011 by nessafrance

So much has been going on in this area during the past few weeks that I scarcely know where to begin. This is typical summer in rural France. For a couple of months there is a plethora of cultural events, … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, History, Places | Tagged country fêtes, Espinas, farming, Fête des battages, Fenaison à l'ancienne, France, rural life, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, social customs, SW France | 6 Comments

What Do the French Talk About at Dinner Parties?

Posted on 03/08/2011 by nessafrance

Last night, we were invited to dinner with French friends with whom we socialise regularly. The SF and I have christened our group ‘the Gang’. There were nine of us yesterday. Some of them were born in the region and … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life | Tagged dinner party conversation, etiquette, food, France, living in France, social customs, SW France | 11 Comments

Good-bye to a venerable old lady

Posted on 13/04/2011 by nessafrance

I’m interrupting my series about finding our house in France to tell you about a funeral we attended today. Mme P., the mother of a friend, died on Sunday aged 98. She would have been 99 in August.

Posted in Customs, French life, Personalities | Tagged France, French funerals, living in France, obsèques, rural life, social customs, SW France | 2 Comments

A crèche with a difference

Posted on 19/12/2010 by nessafrance

Some things in France are well-kept secrets. Countless times, we have heard about something – a concert, fête or market – after it has taken place. These events are rarely well advertised; the organisers rely on le téléphone arabe (bush telegraph) … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, History, Places | Tagged Christmas, creche, France, living in France, Loze, rural life, social customs, SW France | 6 Comments

Why does “merci” mean no in French?

Posted on 06/12/2010 by nessafrance

If you think that “merci” in French just means thank you, then think again. It also means no, thank you. Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, Food/drink/recipes, French life, Language | Tagged France, French, living in France, merci, social customs, SW France | 4 Comments

What do I miss about England?

Posted on 03/10/2010 by nessafrance

I have just returned from a visit to the UK. People often ask me what I miss about England, having left 13 years ago. I can happily live without most things, but there are three features of English life I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books/writing, Customs, French life, Language | Tagged bars, books, cafés, France, humour, living in France, pubs, rural life, social customs, SW France | 2 Comments

Life in Southwest France

Posted on 17/08/2010 by nessafrance

Welcome to La Lune, French for the moon. This is the name of the lieu-dit (locality) in southwest France where our 18th-century farmhouse is situated. We have lived here since 1997. The name almost certainly has nothing to do with the moon, but … Continue reading →

Posted in French life | Tagged blogging, blogs about France, France, living in France, rural life, social customs, SW France, Writing

A moo-ving experience: la fête de la transhumance

Posted on 20/05/2010 by nessafrance

The small town of Aubrac in the eastern Aveyron is subject to an invasion every year during the penultimate weekend in May. Hundreds of cows and thousands of people descend (or, perhaps more accurately, ascend) on this granite-built bourg set in … Continue reading →

Posted in Aveyron, Customs, Food/drink/recipes, French life, History, Places | Tagged Aubrac, Aveyron, blogs about France, cows, farming, fete, France, Laguiole, rural life, social customs, transhumance | 14 Comments

French women forbidden to wear trousers – it’s official

Posted on 05/05/2010 by nessafrance

French women are forbidden to wear trousers under a law passed more than 200 years ago and never repealed. Where does this leave the elegant wife of President Sarkozy, asks A writer’s lot in France? Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, History | Tagged égalité, blogs about France, breaking news, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, equality, France, laws, Nicolas Sarkozy, Pants, social customs, trousers, women | Leave a comment

French social customs 7: tu or vous?

Posted on 11/04/2010 by nessafrance

Another knotty problem in my French social customs series [for the others, see Customs in Topics in the right-hand sidebar].

Posted in Customs, French life, Language, Top tips | Tagged blogs about France, Charles de Gaulle, English, etiquette, France, French, Language, rural life, social customs, Tu, Vous | 7 Comments

Sexism is alive and well in France

Posted on 04/04/2010 by nessafrance

I’ve felt this post coming on for a long time – about 13 years, in fact. Much as I love France, there’s one aspect to which I will never be reconciled: the attitude to women, especially the further south you … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Rants | Tagged blogs about France, citizenship, France, sexism, social customs, universal suffrage, vote | 7 Comments

French social customs 6: greetings in French

Posted on 29/03/2010 by nessafrance

For my other posts about French customs, please see Customs under Topics in the right-hand sidebar. In theory it’s simple: to say hello it’s bonjour all day and bonsoir in the evening. To say good-bye it’s au revoir at any time of … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Language, Top tips | Tagged Aveyron, blogs about France, etiquette, France, French, phrases, social customs | 1 Comment

French social customs 5: Monsieur, Madame or first names?

Posted on 25/03/2010 by nessafrance

For my other posts about French customs, please see Customs under Topics in the right-hand sidebar. The French are more formal than the Americans or the English and are sticklers for politeness. Many an unsuspecting foreigner has got stuck in the swamp … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Language, Top tips | Tagged blogs about France, etiquette, France, French, phrases, social customs | 1 Comment

French social customs 4: table manners part 2

Posted on 21/03/2010 by nessafrance

People in France eat out a lot (although somewhat less during the present crise). On Sundays, you will often see whole families from grandparents down to babies tucking into a five-course meal. This is the reason why French children are … Continue reading →