A Colorful and unique atmosphere
Every end of the year, City of Dijon offers an amazing entertainment program called “Un Noël extraordinaire à Dijon”. Everything starts downtown with a sound and light show, Christmas carols and of course a Christmas market with little chalets where you can buy nougat, hot drinks, handmade products, etc. Feel free to try the big wheel and then go sledding or ice-skate on the short-lived skating rink!
Every details of the scenery is unique, for example those huge teddy bears you will definitely want to capture!
On Place Darcy, just beside Porte Guillaume – which look like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris – there is a special tradition for children: a little Enchanted Train.
By the way, if you still feel like a kid, feel free to send your letter to Santa by using the big red mailboxes set on Place de la Libération or by sending it to : Mairie de Dijon – À l’attention du Père Noël – CS 73310 – 21033 DIJON CEDEX. Of course, use this exercise to write in french – Santa understands every language 😀 -, so here is a little help:
Cher Père Noël, (Dear Santa)
Je t*’écris pour te demander… (I write you to ask for…)
*yes, you can say “tu” to him, he is not that formal!
Meaning of Christmas
Christmas is really important in french culture but not so much with its religious aspect. In fact, during that specific period of the year, people would emphasize on solidarity towards homeless/poor people and the elders, especially those who live by themselves. The cutest side about Christmas would be how children wait for their christmas gifts or still believe in Santa. The less cute side would be how publicists overly use Christmas and New Year celebrations to try to make you buy anything and everything…
Some politics would argue that Xmas has a religious meaning which is unacceptable since France is “laïque”. The “laïcité” is a specific french law about separation between religion and state. For example, they say that mayors should not allow nativity scene in public buildings. Some other people simply say that Christmas has become a commercial thing to make people consume.
But you know what? It feels like Christmas shows in fact how adults miss their childhood. For once in the year, they can dream and allow themselves to wish everything. Question is “why don’t they simply accept this and, more important, try to live all year accordingly to their true self?”.
Everyone knows, but forget, how fragile we all are. When you go out from home on the morning, you don’t even know if you will be back at the end of the day. This is something French people came to realize more and more especially with the recent dramatic attacks…
For many French people, Christmas is simply a precious opportunity to stand together and share beautiful memories with the ones they love.
=> Ecole Bonjour Dijon offers a specific seminar in order to practice French by using Christmas and of course, share a nice snack together (chocolates, Viennoiseries, etc.). Contact us for more information.