Beautifully Festive Easter Traditions Around The World - Part 3. France

France

France celebrates Easter much like we do in the United States

St. Ouen Roman Catholic Church

With about 90% of the country being Roman Catholic, Easter is huge holiday to them.

Churches play center stage during this time. With their beautiful architecture and magnificence they start the tradition. On what they call Maundy Thursday the day before Good Friday, The churches and all other bells cease to ring in remembrance of Jesus' passing. Church bells usually ring at various times of the day, every day in France. So to quiet the curiosity of children as to why they don't hear any bells, they are often told that the bells have flown off to visit the Pope in Rome. When the dawn breaks on Easter morning, all can hear the bells start ringing once again.

Chateaux Vaux le Vicomte

Much like we do on the grounds of the White House.....Chateaux Vaux le Vicomte is just one of the places in France that holds an annual Easter Egg Hunt as well. They place tens of thousands of eggs for the children to find!

Easter Egg Games

After Sunday service, kids love to play games. One game they play is "Roll the raw egg". Children take a raw egg and try to gently roll it down a slope. In hopes not to break their egg. Many believe this symbolizes the stone that rolled away from Jesus' tomb.

Another fun game they play again with raw eggs is "Toss the egg into the air". Again in hopes not to break the egg. The first person to drop and break their egg is the loser and must share some of their candy with another child.

Bringing good luck

Some people like to hang Boxwood instead of Palm Leaves over their door. Their belief is that in doing so will bring them luck.

Chocolate fish

We are not quite sure if there is any correlation between Easter and the chocolate fish that show up in many shops close to Easter. France has some of the most beautiful and intricately decorated chocolate. Too beautiful to eat!

Easter dinner

A traditional Easter meal for the French is either 'gigot d'agneau' (which is a leg of lamb) or navarin a lamb stew.

The people of France also take great happiness in going out in to the stree and greeting neighbors and friends with hugs and kisses and shouting "Joyeuses Pâques!".