Fête de la Musique 2023

15 June 2023

As the summer solstice arrives, Parisians eagerly prepare to embrace the enchanting spirit of Fête de la Musique. Celebrated annually on June 21st, this musical… Read More

Mardi Gras in France

21 February 2023

Despite its religious roots, Mardi Gras is a holiday for all: if you love pancakes and dressing up, this one’s for you! However, not sure… Read More

La Saint-Valentin

31 January 2023

Valentine's Day has become a commercial celebration spread across Western Europe but do the French do it differently?… Read More

French Tradition La Chandeleur

4 January 2023

The French tradition La Chandeleur (Candlemas) takes place on the 2nd February. Actually it is considered the last cycle of the Christmas celebration. So in… Read More

Halloween in Paris

18 October 2021

Find out about the best places to celebrate Halloween in Paris, a spooky visit to the Catacombs, we got it all covered!… Read More

Tour de France

29 June 2020

The first ever Tour de France took place on the 1st July 1903. Organised and orchestrated by one man alone, this was to become one… Read More

Le 1er mai (1st May)

29 April 2020

1st May in France, commonly known as May Day, is a public holiday associated with the lily of the valley flower, which dates back to… Read More

Pâques

5 April 2020

Pâques or Easter in English is a religious festival and is one of the most important holidays in France, it has now become a traditional… Read More

Faire la bise

6 January 2020

The French greeting is almost always complemented with ‘la bise’. Integral to French society, system and values you must know the rules and regulations to… Read More

Le Réveillon de Noël

7 November 2019

In France, they celebrate Le Réveillon de Noël on the 24th December with family or close acquaintances in the form of a large meal before… Read More

November, remember

5 November 2019

November 11, 1918 - At 5 a.m., in Marshal Foch's railway car in the Forest of Compiegne, the Armistice between the Allied and Central Powers… Read More

L’école française

3 September 2019

French children are heading back to school and La Rentrée has begun, but how exactly does the French school system work? If you’re wondering what… Read More

La Saint-Sylvestre

2 January 2019

La Saint-Sylvestre is an alternate name for New Year's Eve in France. It is because the 31st December is the feast day of Saint-Sylvestre in… Read More

La Toussaint

25 October 2018

La Toussaint takes place every year on the 1st of November and is an important holiday of remembrance for French people and their families. Read More

Grand Raid Réunion

1 October 2018

The tradition of Grand Raid: a treacherous race over a beautiful island. Would you be up to the challenge?… Read More

Fêtes de Bayonne

23 August 2018

Every year, the citizens of Bayonne (and any tourists that come to visit) all don red and white and enjoy a five day-long festival. There's… Read More

Le Festival des Jardins

18 July 2018

The ‘Festival des Jardins’ is a horticultural festival that takes place in Chaumont-sur-Loire. The festival has been held every summer since 1992. Read More

Avignon Festival

25 June 2018

The Festival d'Avignon, or Avignon Festival, is an annual arts festival held in the French city of Avignon every summer in July. Read More

Fête de la Saint-Jean

22 May 2018

The Fête de la Saint-Jean is an annual celebration that always falls on 24 June. The celebration commemorates the birth of John the Baptist and… Read More

Easter in Martinique

22 March 2018

In Martinique, Easter is very different to the traditional European holiday. Be prepared to eat curry and watch crab racing!… Read More

La Fête du Citron

23 February 2018

The theme of this year’s Fête du Citron is Bollywood, so if you take a trip to the town of Menton, you might see colourful… Read More

Le Carnaval de Paris

23 January 2018

You have probably heard of Rio Carnival in Brazil, and Notting Hill Carnival in London, but what you may not know is that every year,… Read More

La Galette des Rois

18 December 2017

The Galette des rois (‘king cake’) is a dessert that is traditionally served in French households on 6th January, or Epiphany. It is a central… Read More

Les Catherinettes

31 October 2017

In France, on the 25th November, unmarried women, referred to as ‘catherinettes’, would often be given strange hats and headdresses to wear for the whole… Read More

Journées du patrimoine

11 August 2017

For more than 30 years, the third weekend of September has been dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of Europe's rich and diverse cultural heritage. Read More

La rentrée

11 August 2017

The month of September is undoubtedly synonymous with la rentrée, especially for all those working with Babylangues, but for the whole of France too. Read More

Les Festivals d’Été

28 July 2017

The month of August in France sees various towns, big and small, across the entirety of the country transformed into sites of festivities and summer… Read More

Roland Garros

23 May 2017

Roland Garros, otherwise known as the French Open has undoubtedly become part of French heritage, and is a fantastic event to follow in June in… Read More

The French Election

28 April 2017

The French Election - With this years French election coming up in May, we thought it only fitting to explain just quite how it works. Read More

LA FRANCOPHONIE

7 March 2017

Each year on 20th March the Journée internationale de la Francophonie is celebrated across France. Read More

Les Etrennes

31 December 2016

Les Voeux et Les Etrennes is the French tradition of giving presents on New Year's Day. Originating in the Roman period it has prevailed until… Read More

Christmas in Provence

30 November 2016

Each region has its own Christmas traditions, but none in France is as rich in colourful traditions as that of Provence in December. Read More

Christmas Shoebox

28 November 2016

Many Babylangues Instructors remember putting together a shoebox for Christmas when they were younger so we invite them to share this thoughtful and giving Anglo-Saxon… Read More

French Gardens

31 August 2016

In 2009, the French voted that the garden was the second most important room in the house. Read More

Fête de la Musique !

30 May 2016

To acknowledge the summer solstice on 21st June, the Fête de la Musique is an event aimed at all ages and tastes, the chance to… Read More

The 8th May in France

6 May 2016

The 8th May is a bank holiday in France to celebrate Victory Day, which marks the formal acceptance by the Allies of Nazi Germany‘s surrender… Read More

Poisson d’Avril!

30 March 2016

The origins of what we now know as April Fools’ Day (Poisson d'Avril in France) is believed to trace back to the sixteenth century in… Read More

La Chandeleur

2 February 2016

La Chandeleur, known as Candlemas in English, is a festival that designates the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox. Read More

Month of Memory

27 October 2015

FRENCH TRADITION: With All Saints’ and Remembrance Day, November in France marks the month of memory. Read More

Les Vendanges

2 October 2015

“Vendanges” is the term used in France to denote the grape-picking season, with harvests in many regions later used for wine production. Read More

La rentrée littéraire

20 August 2015

The rentrée littéraire is a practice adopted by French publishers, characterised by a large number of new book releases (all styles and genres mixed together)… Read More