Are you a French teacher looking to go beyond typical classroom Christmas activities and lessons? Here are five Francophone Christmas traditions to teach in French class! All five of these Francophone Christmas traditions from different parts of the Francophone world. We’ve got representation from Provence (France), Haiti, les Antilles, Quebec, and Switzerland.
Why teach about Christmas traditions in the Francophone world?
French classes have traditionally focused significantly on France. I’ve discussed in detail why this is extremely harmful to French language learners as it intentionally ignores the diverse peoples, cultures, practices, dialects, and perspectives of all French-speaking people.
Teaching about Francophone traditions is one way to de-center France.
Francophone Christmas Tradition #1 : les 13 desserts de Noël (Provence, France)
When creating this resource, I really wanted to focus on a lesser-known French Christmas tradition.
Full disclosure – I am a Punjabi/Sikh teacher. If you are Christian, you may of course be more familiar with these traditions than I am.
The 13 Christmas Desserts is a tradition from Provence, France.
The resource I’ve created briefly explains each of the 13 desserts and what they represent.
Francophone Christmas Tradition #2 : Le chanté Nwèl aux Antilles
The second Francophone Christmas tradition to teach about in French class is Chanté Nwèl from the French Antilles.
In fact, Chanté Nwèl is connected to the history of slavery in this region. This Christmas tradition represents solidarity and a culture of sharing among the Antillian community.
I’ll be honest, this one was my favourite to learn about!
Francophone Christmas Tradition #3 : la Tourtière au Québec
The third Francophone Christmas tradition is a beloved dish from le Québec! C’est la tourtière!
In this part of the lesson, students will learn about when les Québecois eat tourtière. They will also watch a historical video and learn about what ingredients are typically found in tourtière.
Francophone Christmas Tradition #4 : le Krémas en Haïti
The fourth Francophone Christmas tradition is a delicious drink called Krémas which is consumed in Haiti.
Many students may even make comparisons between Krémas and the popular Christmas drink of eggnog!
Francophone Christmas Tradition #5 : le marché de Noël de Bâle, Suisse
The last Francophone Christmas tradition is le marché de Noël de Bâle, Suisse.
Did you know that this is the largest Christmas market in the world?
Over a million people visit this Christmas market every year.
Want a ready-made resource to teach Francophone Christmas traditions?
