French Culture

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Food and Mealtimes

  • Breakfast (“petit déjeuner”)
    • Very small, and very quick (i.e. coffee/tea/hot chocolate and a pastry or croissant)
  • Lunch (“déjeuner”)
    • Eaten anywhere from 12 pm – 4 pm
    • Formal four course meals consist of a starter course (“entrée”), a salad, a main course (“plat principal”), and finally a cheese or dessert course
  • Dinner (“dîner”)
    • A big deal; it’s a social event
    • Served usually around 8 pm for families with kids, but can be as late as 11 pm
    • Can last long into the evening, especially if with friends
    • Each dish is served separately so don’t fill up on the first dish 🙂 
    • It’s polite to help with setting the table and preparing, as well as clean up
    • Dessert usually is simple (i.e. fruit and yogurt)
  • Interesting facts about food
    • French culture places a high priority on the enjoyment of food
    • Don’t place your hands below the table or put your elbows on the table during a meal
    • Legal drinking age is officially 18
    • France produces the most wine by value in the world
    • By American standards, the French undercook meats: rare or saignant is close to raw; medium or à point is rare; and well-done or bien cuit is medium
    • Say ‘Bon appétit’ to people you’re eating with! 

Greetings

  • For close friends, acquaintances, and family members
    • Faire la bise (kiss on the cheek) 
    • Note: your lips don’t actually contact their cheek, it’s an ‘air kiss’
    • If you’re a woman, you usually kiss friends, family members and sometimes acquaintances
    • If you’re a man you only kiss people of the opposite sex
  • For strangers:
    • Shake hands or
    • Simply say “Bonjour” or “bonsoir” (good evening)
  • “Bonjour” (Good day) is more formal
    • When entering and exiting shops, greet the store owner (if they’re on the phone, you can nod)
    • “Bonjour” for during the day
    • “Bonsoir” for the evening (after 6 pm)
    • Say “au revoir” or “merci” when you leave

Are they angry all the time?

  • French people may sound angry, but they usually aren’t
  • In general, French culture is much more blunt (or are you more sugar-coated?)
  • If your host mom gives you some feedback/criticism, don’t take it personally!
  • French people speak their mind and rarely hold grudges
  • They’re just telling you what they think, so incorporate their feedback and move on 🙂 

General mindsets:

  • French people are very proud of their culture, food, beauty of the land, art, history, etc. so they like telling you about it
    • They can be offended by any negative comments OR ignorance about their country
  • One of the worst things you could do is to not know anything about French culture or history — French people will literally be offended by this so educate yourself! 🙂 
  • They love hearing what you love about France 
  • Visitors can interpret their attitude toward tourists as rude 
  • The French love style and sophistication; they are proud that even public spaces strike a regal tone 
  • France’s motto is “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” (Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood); equality is a valued idea in French culture 
  • One friend described their culture in the way the houses in the suburbs are set up
    • There is a gate between the sidewalk and the home — French people generally have a certain barrier toward strangers and those they don’t know well
    • Once you are inside ‘the gate,’ you are welcomed as part of the family
  • They love romance and passion and can have an open attitude toward sex outside of marriage
    • Even top politicians have been known to have affairs without making much effort to hide them
    • Not uncommon for children to be born to unmarried couples
    • French couples have the option of getting a pacte civil de solidarité (PACS) instead of a marriage (it has many of the same benefits but can be dissolved with a notice or by marrying someone else).
  • Obviously Paris is known as the home to many high-end fashion names (think Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, etc.)
    • Many French people dress fashionably but not in an overdone way 
  • Enjoying life
    • The French enjoy 5 weeks of paid vacation plus every Catholic holiday every invented, and workweeks are 35 hours 
  • Being polite — even if you don’t speak French but you just try your best and begin phrases with “bonjour, excusez-moi,” it will go a long way

History

Famous French people

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