The French are commonly regarded to enjoy eating cheese, snails, frog legs, and plenty of bread, particularly baguettes and croissants. The French are also known for their fondness for wine.
French values
The French national motto “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity” reflects the core values of French society. Equality and unity are important to the French. Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité'are often identified as essential to what it means to be 'French'.
Equality and unity are important to the French. The French also value style and sophistication, and they take pride in the beauty and artistry of their country. Family is also highly valued in French culture. Mealtimes are often shared with family, and extended-family gatherings and meals are common over the weekend.
French culture is known for high fashion, fine cuisine, and a love of the arts and entertainment. The French are known for their good etiquette and value for work-life balance.
The French lifestyle (“l'Art de Vivre à la Française” in French) is the art of living life to the fullest: enjoying the best moment in life, whether it's through social gatherings, food, or art. It's about elevating simple everyday routines into something pleasurable.
It is rude to sit with one's legs spread apart unless in a relaxed context. Rather, sit straight with your legs crossed at the knee or knees together. Feet should not be placed on tables or chairs. If someone is invited to a restaurant or a business function, it is acceptable to arrive at the specific time.
The French favour design over practicality. They like innovation for the sake of creativity, even when there is no practical need for it. (incidentally, this is the polar opposite of the Japanese mindset). The French raison d'être is "measured intellectual performance".
The French lifestyle is all about the art of living life to the fullest. Living life with pleasure and enjoyment is always a priority, whether that's through social gatherings, excellent food, or beautiful surroundings.
The major religions practiced in France include Christianity (about 50% overall, with denominations including Catholicism, various branches of Protestantism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Armenian Orthodoxy), Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism among others, making it a multiconfessional country.
There is no better way to get them to love you than by showing an appreciation and knowledge of their country, politics, history and culture. If you show that you recognize famous names and that you have some interest in the things that are important to them, they will think of you as tourist of the year.
Watching television remains the favourite leisure activity of the French, with an average of 3 hours 15 minutes per person per day. There are over 130 French television channels. > Four national public channels: France 2, France 3, Arte (Franco-German cultural channel) and La Cinquième (educational channel);
Football. Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in France, with 1,993,270 licensed players in the leagues. The sport was imported from England at the end of the 19th century, under the name of association football.
The 14th of July, or Bastille Day is easily one of the most celebrated French traditions. This is the French National Holiday, or the equivalent of Independence Day in many other countries. Bastille Day refers to the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789.
Discovering French Culture : Food, Fashion, Traditions, Art and Language. As a hub of sorts including fashion, cuisine, art and architecture, Paris is what many people think of when it comes to French culture.
On Saturdays we normally have an aperitif with the news, then dinner together. Although, on a few special occasions we've had dinner in front of the tv with a French movie. Other times we've had Olivier's colleagues over for dinner which lasted until 1am!
The French are generally very proud of their way of life, with an emphasis on taking time for personal relationships, preparing and enjoying meals, and enjoying the present moment.
The two main forms of address you will need to use are “Monsieur” (Dear Sir) and “Madame” (Dear Madame), used when addressing men and women, respectively. If you know the name of the person, you should use it afterwards (e.g. Monsieur John Doe, Madame Jane Doe, and so forth.)