Customs and traditions of French culture

A large portion of modern global culture may trace its roots back to France, particularly in the fields of art, fashion, cuisine, and language.

 

Paris may be the epicentre of French fashion, gastronomy, art, and architecture, but the rest of France is vastly different and differs significantly from region to region.

 

Not only does France have a rich cultural heritage, but the very word "culture" has French origins. According to Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London, "'Culture' stems from the same French phrase, which in turn derives from the Latin 'colere,' meaning to tend to the land and grow, cultivate, and nurture."

 

Celtic and Gallo-Roman civilizations, as well as the Germanic Franks, have had an impact on French culture throughout history. The term "France" originally referred to the western part of Germany called the Rhineland. Still, it eventually came to refer to the region known as Gaul during the Iron Age and the Ancient Roman era.

 

The city went on to become the epicentre of the Enlightenment with the French Revolution and the residence of some of the most prominent royal families of medieval and early modern times. The French became one of the great world powers in the 19th and 20th centuries thanks to Napoleon's ascent to power, and the events of World Wars I and II profoundly affected the country as we know it today.

 

The French people

 

According to INSEE (France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), the country's total population will be 67.81 million as of January 1, 2022. According to Statista, 87.8% of that population is made up of people born in France and another 4.8% of people who become citizens of France after birth. According to projections from the Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED) for the year 2020, the majority of foreign-born residents of France are of Algerian, Moroccan, Portuguese, Tunisian, Italian, Turkish, or Spanish origin.

 

As of February 2021, the INED estimates that 51.65% of France's population is female and 48.35% is male. About 24% of the population is younger than 20 years old, while a little over 20% is 65 and up.

 

According to Statista, urban areas will house 80.69 per cent of the French population by 2020. From 1960 to 2010, the percentage of people who resided in urban areas rose dramatically.

 

French linguistics

 

According to the BBC, French is the first language of 88 per cent of the population. However, there are a number of regional variations within France, making it clear that even if it is the official language, it is not universally spoken.

 

According to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, approximately 2 million students are learning French as a second language in 50 different countries. According to Statista (opens in a new tab), over 267 million people speak French as their native tongue. This places French in the seventh position among the most spoken languages worldwide.

 

The BBC reports that 3% of the population speaks German dialects and that there is a small Flemish-speaking community in the country's northeast. The third-largest minority language is Arabic.

 

People who reside close to the Italian border may be bilingual in Italian and Spanish. In contrast, those living in the Basque region of southern France and northern Spain may be bilingual in Basque and French.

 

Catalan, Breton (the Celtic language), Occitan dialects, and languages from the old French colonies such as Kabyle and Antillean Creole are only a few examples of other languages and dialects spoken in the area.

 

French belief systems

 

In France, the vast majority of people practice the Catholic faith. According to a poll by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP), 64 per cent of the country's 41,6 million residents are Roman Catholic. Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism are the country's other major religions. The CIA reports that 33%–42% of French citizens do not identify with any religion but notes that this estimate is complicated by the fact that "France has a culture of secularism and has not officially collected statistics on religious affiliation since the 1872 national census."

 

French cultural norms

 

The French have an extreme amount of national pride and are easily angered by criticism of their country or government. The majority of visitors, especially those from the United States, misinterpret their attitude toward foreigners as disrespectful.

 

According to De Rossi, "During the 16th century in Europe, culture became a phrase for the cultivation of the mind, the intellect, knowledge, learning, creative faculties, and respectable ways of behaving." The French take pride in their public places, which they believe reflect the country's appreciation for elegance and refinement.

 

The French value égalité, which refers to the concept of equality and is included in the national motto "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité." Many people claim to value equality more than the other two terms in the slogan, freedom and brotherhood.

 

According to research by France's National Research Agency on AIDS, which was cited in "Time," the French are romantic and passionate people who have an open attitude regarding sex outside of marriage. Extramarital affairs are so commonplace that even the most prominent leaders in the country sometimes don't bother to hide them. Childbirth outside of marriage is prevalent due to the country's secular culture.

 

The pacte civil de solidarité is an alternative to marriage available to French citizens (PACS). These partnerships share many of the advantages of marriage, such as tax benefits. Still, they can be terminated with a simple notice or by marrying another person in place of or in addition to a divorce. According to "The Economist," there are twice as many PACS in France as there are married couples.

 

Cuisine française

 

French culture revolves heavily around food and wine, and many social gatherings take place over leisurely meals.

 

Though current trends favour lighter eating, many people still consider French cuisine heavy on sauces and challenging to prepare. Coq au vin, a dish made with chicken, Burgundy wine, lardons (small strips or cubes of pork fat), button mushrooms, onions, and (optional) garlic, and Boeuf Bourguignon, a stew made with beef braised in red wine, beef broth, and seasoned with garlic, onions, and mushrooms, are both classic French dishes.

 

While the term "high cooking" (or "haute cuisine") has become synonymous with French cuisine around the world, the French family meal tradition is just as revered. An accurate representation of French cuisine, the home-cooked supper, is a product of the people and, metaphorically speaking, of the provinces. In her book "Savoir-Faire: A History of Food in France," Maryann Tebben, a professor of language and literature at Bard College, argues that nostalgic "cuisine de grandmère" is just as recognizable as French gourmet cuisine (Reaktion Books, 2020).

 

The origin of French fries may lie outside of France. Maybe they're from Spain or Belgium; that's what "National Geographic" says. Fries got their name in America after American Minister to France Thomas Jefferson munched on them during his time in France, 1784–1789. Back in the States, he pitched the concept.

 

French couture

 

Fashion houses like Dior, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel all call the French capital home. The typical French person wears an understatedly chic, businesslike, and trendy outfit. Dressy gowns, suits, long coats, scarves, and berets are commonplace.

 

Haute couture is a French fashion phrase that refers to more elaborate, hand-made or custom-ordered clothes. According to a post by London-based fashion writer and editor Eva Domjian on the website "Stressful," the term is legally protected in France. The Paris Chamber of Commerce defines it. A blog post by Domjian reads:

 

"A fashion house must adhere to the following standards to legitimately declare itself a couture house and use the word haute couture in its marketing and otherwise:

 

Custom designs with at least one fitting for wealthy individuals.

Maintain a Paris-based workshop (atelier) with fifteen or more full-time employees.

Show at least 35 runs/exits of day and evening attire to the Paris press twice a year (per season). "

 

French Artwork

 

Gothic, Romanesque, Rococo and Neoclassical influences can be observed in numerous churches and other public structures throughout France, especially in Paris and other major towns.

 

Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro are just a few of the famous artists who found their muse in Paris, helping to birth the Impressionist art style. The Art Nouveau era then came after this. The Art Nouveau movement "emerges in painting, graphic arts, architecture, and the design of daily goods," as stated by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This movement was "based on asymmetrical, organic forms and influenced by Japanese art."

 

The Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo are just a couple of the priceless works of art that can be found in the Louvre Museum in Paris, which is one of the largest museums in the world. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and other remarkable buildings can all be found in Paris.

 

Festivities and holidays

 

Christmas and Easter are two major Christian holidays that are widely celebrated in France. May Day, often called Labor Day, is celebrated annually on May 1. On May 8, people across the world celebrate Victory in Europe Day to remember the end of World War II in Europe. On July 14, we honour the fall of the Bastille. On this date in 1789, insurgents stormed the Bastille fortress in Paris, sparking the French Revolution.

Reference : https://www.livescience.com/39149-french-culture.html

Image source : https://pixabay.com/id/photos/menara-eiffel-perancis-951509/

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