Emily's guide to Christmas in Paris is a wonderful resource if travelling to Paris, or a lovely way to immerse in Paris à Noël while still at home!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles episode 85
Guest: Emily Gaudichon
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I adore Christmas! I love the decorations, the carols, the advent calendars, the gift-giving, the food! On every vacation I purchase a Chrissy decoration so when we decorate the Christmas tree we remember all our wonderful holidays, but this also keeps Christmas front of mind for me when travelling all year round too. Living in Australia though, Christmas has always been a summer event with loads of seafood, playing cricket and lunch outdoors. I have always been curious about Christmas in other places around the world, so it was wonderful to chat to lovely Emily Gaudichon about Christmas in Paris and France. Emily is quite an expert on Parisian Christmas having released a Christmas in Paris Guide together with Landen Kerr.
Emily filled me in on a number of French traditions. Rather than Christmas Day or Noël being the focus, the celebration of Réveillon de Noël or Christmas Eve is the big event! There is a dinner of many courses, possibly including seafood, escargots, a chestnut or butternut squash soup, a roasted bird, loads of cheese and wine plus dessert. Emily likes to make her own Bûche de Noël for dessert. It’s a sort of Swiss roll with chocolate and berry flavours, decorated with a Christmas theme. This year Emily is heading out of Paris for Christmas to a ski resort in the French alps with her family and will be having a fondue dinner for Réveillon, making her Bûche de Noël for after Christmas Day lunch.
This year I am heading to France in the lead up to Christmas so I was hanging on every word relating to places to see the lights, ice skating, mulled wine in the jardins. I love to make mulled wine in Australia in winter for our bonfire nights up at my dad’s home up in the country. The warmth, the spices, the orange flavours, the brandy… it’s so comforting! Emily mentioned something she has seen in France called a “simmer pot” where the mulled wine spices are placed just into a pot of water and simmered on the stove to put the scent of Christmas right through the house.
Emily explained that this year is the first year of a ban on the outdoor café heaters, so there may not be as much in the way of outdoor revelry as in previous years. I can’t wait to get there and see it all for myself!
I love Christmas carols and was fascinated by the French chansons de Noël Emily mentioned that have the same tune with French lyrics. Her Christmas in Paris Guide has a Christmas Carol playlist with all her faves!
Emily’s links
Recette
Musique
French – Celine Dion – Petit Papa Noël
Australian – Paul Kelly – How to Make Gravy
