Student Blog

In December, when towns are decorated with festive Christmas decorations, I find myself reminiscing about the holiday season I spent in Spain during my exchange program earlier this year. Curious about how people in other countries celebrate Christmas, I decided to ask Gregory, an international student.

Gregory is from Normandy, a region in northern France. He currently lives in the dormitory where I serve as a Resident Assistant (RA), supporting students in various ways. As I listened to his story, I discovered many differences between French and Japanese Christmas traditions.

About two to three weeks before Christmas, Christmas markets—lined with many shops—open in various cities, bringing life and sparkle to the streets. In homes, the countdown to Christmas begins on December 1st with an Advent calendar, which continues for 24 days until the 25th. The fun of the calendar is that each day has a small window hiding a gift. Some families also decorate with Christian-themed ornaments throughout the month, culminating with the addition of a baby figurine to represent the birth of Christ.

One of the biggest differences from Japan is how people spend the holidays: Christmas is celebrated with family, while New Year’s is enjoyed with friends. On Christmas Day, families host home parties, enjoying turkey and a traditional cake called “Bûche de Noël.” What I found particularly interesting was that, much like Japan’s custom of New Year’s visits to relatives, the Christmas season in France is also a time for family visits.

Tomorrow is finally Christmas, followed by the end of the year. I’m already getting excited thinking about how I’ll spend this special time.