Hey everyone ! let’s
talk about ‘la culture en France’.
In France there are a number of national languages as
well as important foreign languages.
The official language of the French Republic is French, so the government is, by law, forced to communicate in French.
The official language of the French Republic is French, so the government is, by law, forced to communicate in French.
In France there are also cross-border languages, for
example: Basque, Catalan, Corsican, Dutch, ….. .
France is traditionally a catholic country and today,
about 80% of the French population belongs to the Catholic religion. However,
the majority of Catholics do not attend church regularly.
The Protestant Religion has about one million
followers in France. They mainly live in the south eastern part of the Massif Central,
in the Jura and Alsace in Northern France. There are also about five million
Muslims in France, mostly North Africans. The Jewish religion in France counts
about 650,000 Jews, mostly coming from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
As we all know, the French cuisine is supposed to be
the most famous in the world.
France is indeed a nation of food lovers and the food
culture has some interesting facts. Food is to be enjoyed, for example, lunch
time in France is usually two hours long. Except for large cities, almost
everything closes from noon until two p.m. when French restaurants are open for
lunch.
There are many restaurants in France with over 5,000
restaurants in Paris alone. There are also many food guides to assist. The most
famous and successful restaurant guide in France is the Michelin Guide Rouge.
Besides, each country has a Michelin Guide Rouge. When
you visit our country you can assist yourself with our Michelin Guide Rouge of
Belgium.
Such a Michelin Guide Rouge has enormous influence.
The award of a single star by the Guide Rouge to a restaurant, can add 25% to
its turnover but when the restaurant loses a star, it can mean financial ruin.
The French people are fond of cheese. They are the largest
cheese consumers in the world. They produce over 300 different kinds of
cheese. Cheese is often served as a
course itself, after the main meal , before the dessert.
It is a platter with three or four different cheeses
with slices of a baguette provided at the same time.
When you want to order a truffle in the west is means
chocolate but in France, truffles are edible underground fungi. Believed to be
an aphrodisiac, they are a favourite food in France. Truffles are cultivated by
trufficulteurs, who use trained pigs or dogs to hunt for the truffles by smell.
The truffles smell like walnuts or sunflower seeds.
The first cookbook that appeared in France, in 1652,
“Le Cuisine François”, was written by the famous French chef, La Varenne. It showed
how French cuisine became a vital part of cooking and dining in Europe.
The French national holiday is
called “Bastille Day”. It reminds us of the storming of the Bastille, which
took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution.
The Bastille was a prison, and symbol of the power of Louis the 16th’s Ancient Regime.
The first operas appeared in
France in the mid-17th century. The most classical music era from
France is known as the Romantic Era, which closely resembles the period of
Romantic French literature and poetry. Famous French musicians like Ravel and
Debussy composed classical masterpieces,
which were, not only appreciated in France at the time, but had made their way
around the world.
Popular music in France began in
the 19th century. The French ‘Chanson’ is still a popular genre
today.
Famous artists of that genre were the unforgettable Edith Piaf and
Georges Brassens.
Edith Piaf:
Georges Brassens:
Last but not least, I have to
remark that sports in France are as intrinsic to French culture as croissants
and red wine. The French people are very proud of their athletes. Extremely
popular in France is tennis and of course the internationally well-known Tour
de France.
Debra
Sources:
Three relevant-life examples:
Hello Debra!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of ‘the culture of France’, I immediately think of Edith Piaf and the movie ‘La vie en rose’. I love that movie so much!
On the other hand, I think of the French cuisine. There are thousands of restaurants in Paris and I am happy that we experienced some because several of them should be in the Michelin Guide Rouge.
The only thing I hate of the cuisine is cheese. I found it weird to see that French people ate cheese and bread after the main meal and before the dessert.
What I do love is truffle. Truffle is really expensive but sooooo delicious!
I love the fact that we spent a lot of time on the table. I did not know that this is a tradition of France because I just went to the most important places with my parents: Paris, Saint-Tropez, Marseille, le Côte-d’Azur, la Provence,…
Lastly, I think of sport, for example ‘Le Tour de France’ and ‘Roland Garros’.
I also experienced things that I did not know; I did not know that people speak another language than French in France, did you? It was a shock to hear that the there are also cross-border languages, for example: Basque, Catalan, , Dutch, …
What I did know, was the fact that France is a catholic country.
Je peux conclure que je aime la France et je l’aimerai pour la vie (I can say that I love France and I will love it forever).