Christmas Culture in Each Country - France -

Christmas is a very important event in France.
Preparations for Christmas begin in late October to early November.
Advent calendars, which are opened every day until Christmas and receive small gifts, are well known.
It is common to replace real fir trees every year, and in France, where there are many Catholics, there is a very strong impression that Christmas is a day spent with the family.

In urban areas such as Paris and Lyon, illuminations are gorgeous, and Christmas markets are held in squares.
Christmas in French is Noël.
At this time of year, isn't it a word that you often see in Christmas cake pamphlets in Japan?

And the most famous French Christmas cake is the bouche de noel, which has the image of a tree stump.
The reason why it is a stump is that in the cold winter months, we burn firewood in the fireplace to keep warm. The fire from the wood burning on Christmas Day is sacred and said to ward off evil.
It is said that this led to cakes inspired by tree stumps.

NachuRa pastry chef Yuhi Hanesada