A feast and festivities with friends and family New Year's Eve is almost always celebrated with a feast of rich foods. Some people like to have their New Year's feast in a quiet environment at home with family and close friends.
Traditionally, New Year's Eve in France begins with a glass of champagne and foie gras, but each region has its own local specialities. Celebrations can range from intimate dinners to “une soirée dansante”, in the form of “une Grande ball”.
Eat. Les huîtres – oysters. Foie gras: “Some people put confiture de figue with it, plus little toasts, others something sugary like mango or pineapple.” “Wintery food, such as raclette or fondue, with a good wine (depending on the region).”
New Year's Eve: the Réveillon du Nouvel An
New Year's Eve is usually celebrated with 10, 20, 30, 50 or even 100 friends, and sometimes even with strangers, at home or private functions. And even in public places, on the Champs-Elysées or under the Eiffel Tower.
Splurge on a Fancy Parisian Dinner
Locals usually spend New Year's in Paris eating a special dinner, to welcome the new year with abundance. Le Ciel de Paris is a great option if you're up for an elegant, upscale dinner with a view over the whole city from the 56th floor of the Montparnasse tower.
Once the clock strikes twelve, you make as much noise as possible with shouts of 'Bonne année! ' or blow into a noisemaker (un serpentin). If you've got someone special, you can also try and give them a kiss under the mistletoe (le gui) at midnight.
Sylvestre, the patron saint of the New Year. Other names that you might hear in France referring to the New Years' Eve can be “Réveillon de Jour de l'An” or “le Réveillon du Nouvel An”.
But in Paris, as in the rest of France, the New Year, or "St. Sylvestre," begins on January 1 and lasts throughout the month.
What happens on the 6th of January during Epiphany in France? The 6th of January is 'l'Epiphanie' or 'la journée des rois' and commemorates the visit of the three wise men to baby Jesus. It's traditional in France to eat 'la Galette des Rois'.
You'll typically find two basic styles of galette des rois: In northern France, it's made of pâte feuilleté, puff pastry, and stuffed with a dense, creamy almond paste called frangipane. In the south of France, you'll be eating a brioche-style cake covered with candied fruit.
Greens, Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread, and Ham | Photo by Meredith. You might say you're not superstitious, but why tempt fate? Dig into these traditional lucky foods on New Year's Day to attract abundance and prosperity in the year ahead.
At midnight, an intense firework will welcome you in the new year. Every Year more than 400000 people gather on the Champs Elysées Avenue to see the New Year' eve firework show on the Arc de Triomphe.
[For a couple], the kiss at midnight is said to strengthen that bond, which is where the superstition comes in. If a couple doesn't kiss at midnight, people believe that their bond is not as strong and could fail in the year to come.”
It is New Year's Eve. Many people see the old year out with a party, welcoming in the New Year with toasts of champagne, and exchanging good wishes for a 'Happy New Year'. It is traditional to stay up and see the old year out. Its exit is usually noisy.
Smooch a Loved One
You've probably heard of this one before. When the clock strikes midnight, you're supposed to kiss someone you love. It's not just about stealing a smooch, either.
Les étrennes du Nouvel An
New Year's gifts called “Les étrennes” are an old tradition that goes back to the Romans. These days, giving New Year's gifts is about showing gratitude to the people who serve us all year long with a cash gift at New Years.
Wear formals or blingy dressed to feel good about welcoming the New Year. Since it will be cold in the evening, make sure to wear an overcoat or jacket to keep warm through the night.
The Line Islands (part of Kiribati), Samoa and Tonga, in the Pacific Ocean, are the first places to welcome the New Year, while American Samoa, Baker Island and Howland Island (part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands) are among the last.
Things have changed since, but few French people send greetings cards in December; they send them throughout January until the 31st, which is the dateline! The popularity of greeting cards has never ceased growing since, but the Internet has brought a new dimension: virtual greeting cards.
Le Réveillon de Noël
This is Christmas Eve dinner. At around midnight, French families eat a special meal to celebrate the very beginning of Christmas Day.
Bonne Année ! - Happy New Year! When you greet someone for Le Nouvel An, the new year in French, you can simply say, “Bonne Année ! “
It is expected that you will shake hands with everyone present when arriving and leaving. Among friends and relatives, the most common greeting is the 'la bise' (kiss on both cheeks). The la bise consists of placing one's cheek against another's, making a kiss noise, then repeating it on the opposite side.