C'est une très grosse coutume dans la mode, tous les ans les maisons de couture font une fête pour les Catherinettes de l'année, elles reçoivent un cadeau de la Maison et leurs collègues leur fabriquent des chapeaux fous en rapport le plus souvent avec leur personnalité ou leur poste dans l'entreprise. J'ai moi même pu réaliser quelques chapeaux pour mes collègues ! Il y a ensuite un défilé à l'Hotel de ville de Paris, organisé par la mairie et la fédération du prêt a porter. Et depuis quelques années les garçons ne sont plus exclus, car ils ont maintenant ajouté les Nicolas, pendant masculin de la Catherinette! 😊
j habite dans le centre et ...siiii,on t oblige a porter un chapeau ridicule,pour attire un probable pretendant..heureusement,t as un ptit cadeau ,moi j ai eu une machine a café!:)
I settled the bise stuff : 1- a guy =shake hands (unless he is among the 5 closest= bisou).2- a married woman (up to 45+) put your hands on her cheeks and kiss her lightly on the forehead, 3- below 30 married or not number of kisses is proportional and deep to how pretty and how smooth the skin😇. If I like her very much she’ll get the long forehead kiss. Which is my warmest paternal blessing🙏 .Above 45- 50 it all blurry, oooops 🤷🏼
If you hesitate between bise or handshake follow this technique : just raise your hand, as if you would go for a handshake (your hand must be quite high, palm facing down). If the other person goes for a bise, just land your hand on their shoulder while you return their bise. Always smooth.
I'm french but I have never seen anyone do the Saint Catherine day. I actually learned about it when I was something like 23 and if anyone were to celebrate such a thing to me, I would be so offended! It's definitely not something common in my region.
I heard about it like once in my whole life, it seemed to me it was more of a joke than anything else. In any case, it is NOT normal for a company to celebrate it.
Mesdames dites ce qui pour vous n'est pas offensant de nos jours, ça ira plus vite que de faire la liste de tout ce que la méchante société patriarcale vous inflige
Flo F some friends did this toe at work, but it was very funny, they were creative with the har, I did not feel offended, none of us was married anyway
cela existe mais ce n'est vraiemnt plus d'actualité. A part dans certains milieux très limités, comme la mode, la bourgeoisie (un peu comme les "Rally") mais ça tend à disparaître.... ;)
About the bise, the number is one thing but I think you forgot the next level: on which side to start. Depending the region in France, we either start the bise from the left cheek or the right one.
Par defaut le nombre de bises qui passera partout c'est 2. Mais s'il n'y a pas d'accord sur le nombre, c'est a mon sens pour 3 raisons: - revendiquer son régionalisme et montrer qu'on est ici chez "soi" - que la personne qui n'est pas "chez elle" fasse preuve d'humilité et de respect en adaptant le nombre de ses bises à la personne qui est de la région et qui reçoit - pour garder le côté sympa et social d'échanger sur des différences de coutumes locales lorsque l'on se rencontre et qu'on agit differemment. Ca cree du lien ;)
et aussi est-ce que tu fais du joue contre joue avec un bruit de bisou dans le vent ou alors est-ce que tu fais un bisou sur la joue de l'autre pour de vrai...
Ce commentaire vient de me faire réaliser que je commence toujours la bise par la joue droite... J’ai donc été formaté à suivre une règle tacite de ma région sans même m’en rendre compte...
I'm French, in my early 40's, and I absolutely know Saint Catherine and the "catherinettes". But it was already disappearing when I was young, because it's offensive, so I understand that so many people do not know about it.
Almost 25 years ago, in Paris, I was a Catherinette it was a fun day, I enjoyed it !! My family got me a beautiful green hat with flowers that I got to wear all day even at work. Everybody smiled at me and wished me a happy saint Catherine !! 💚💚💚
@@CyllidCastle pourtant ma grand mère est assez religieuse, pas au point de me bourré le mou avec ça mais j'en ai jamais entendu parler... je me coucherais moins bêtes ^^'
"germs on the table"... Typical American reaction and their obsession with everything that has to be sanitized. I would say that cutting the baguette is kind of a friendly and warm tradition among people sharing a meal. As for the crumbs, you just shake the tablecloth once the meal is over.
Les réflexions des Ricains concernant notre façon de vivre me font doucement rigoler, plutôt me fatiguent car recevoir des leçons par des barjots qui ne sont peut être jamais sortis de leur état de plus pour l'hygiène gardez vos opinions ET balayez devant votre porte d'abord. Sur ce j'arrête d'écouter cette femme j'ai l'impression d'être dans un élevage de canards et mes oreilles vont explorer. Veloma.
@@francisleveque2939 She's an American talking to Americans. There are surely many things that Americans do that are weird to people from other countries. Vive la difference. Ha ha.
Before asking why we, French, do not used a bread plate, she should ask why they, American, are using a bread plate in the first place. As for germ, if you don't put your bread on the table because it's full of germs, you shouldn't not eat on this table in the first place. Or maybe, just clean the table.
J'ai travaillé il y a très longtemps dans le "catering" international (livraison de plateaux repas et boissons sur les avions). Les normes d'hygiène étaient drastiques dès qu'il s'agissait des vols en provenance-partance pour les USA. Il fallait porter des gants jetables une blouse blanche et un masque jetable devant la bouche pour accéder à certains de leurs avions. Pourtant, les américains partagent leur popcorn, leurs ailes de poulets qui sont servis au cinéma ou dans les KFC dans des grands "gobelets" en carton dans lesquels il piochent joyeusement ...Cherchez l'erreur ! :)
Avec les normes alimentaires déplorables comparées à celles de l'UE, et les mesures pour tenter d'y pallier ( poulets lavés au chlore ), pas étonnant qu'ils ne veulent pas en rajouter...
The bread plate at upscale restaurants is likely because they draw in more wealthy foreigners who expect a plate. So, they cater to their clients' expectations.
Jacques Munier In upscale restaurants, yes. In any other places or at home, I don’t give a damn. I will use my plate to store my bread if I don’t want it to touch the table. 😊
The French do eat sandwiches, croque monsieur and croque madame, in the street -- sometimes hot dogs, but for anything else (except regionally), they'll find somewhere to sit first, even just on a wall. There's no taboo about it though, and nobody will look you askance if you eat a pizza slice on the street. As for the bises, one peculiarity is that you give one bise to those friends you have most affection to. Bises between two men is a South of France thing, or sometimes in the North between family members only. The celebration of particular Saint's Days and their Feasts varies, partly regionally, but mostly from one village to the next. And actually, the woman's role prior to the invention of modern conveniences starting from the late 19th Century was in the household, not as a modern housekeeper, but to be in charge and in control of the entire household (which included the household vegetable patch and chickens etc in the yard, and being in charge of who was doing what work). It was a profession, not just a series of meaningless chores. April 1st used to be New Year's Day, 'til 1582, and the original April "fools" were those who hadn't realised it had shifted to January. People began making fun of them, which turned into the custom of doing so. No idea about the fish though !!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified that's an almost entirely disappeared custom. And for the prayer basically no one does that prayer anymore. If you find one woman who had do it I would be surprised. Maybe from the generation born in the 1920?
Well... we celebrate st Catherine's in my family but not at all like that... it just replaces st Nicolas' day for children when a girl becomes a teenager and basically, you just receive a present on november 25th instead of December 6th... and it is supposed to stop when the girl marries or turns 25 (at least in my family)
I'm french and I don't like the fact that we have to bise when we meet someone but thanks to coronavirus, I don't have to bise everyone and I'm so happy 😂
@ Unintentionally Frenchified En France, avant le 16° siècle, le jour de l'an se fêtait le 1er avril. C'est le roi Charles IX qui a changé cette date et fait démarrer l'année au 1er janvier. Traditionnellement, les gens préparaient donc un repas de fête le 1er avril et s'échangeaient des cadeaux à la fin du repas en se souhaitant la bonne année. Maintenant que vous avez vécu en France et que vous connaissez un peu mieux le caractère très taquin et très rebel des français, et plus encore leur allergie à tout ce qui s'apparente à une réforme, qui à leur yeux n'a pas de sens (ou plutôt qui ne va pas dans le bon sens), vous comprendrez alors pourquoi ces derniers ont préféré accueillir cette transformation de leurs habitudes comme une immense blague. Les français ont donc décidé de continuer à célébrer le 1er avril à leur façon et de créer ainsi un simulacre de jour de l'an et s'offrir de faux cadeaux, des vêtements hors d'usage par exemple, des récipients troués, etc. et de faire des canulars. Mais tout ça c'était surtout pour se moquer du pouvoir en place et ses décisions loufoques. Pour ce qui est du "poisson", c'est toujours dans la même idée de simulacre de repas de fête ou de cadeaux bidons, que certains d'entre-eux ont déposé sur la table du repas de fête, une arrête de poisson comme plat principal de ce faux jour de l'an plutôt qu'un poisson entier qui était traditionnellement le plat servi le jour de l'an... :)
@@zachariecortes Oui, Historia et d'autres magasines spécialisés. En fait la date du 1er de l'an a déjà été changée plusieurs fois avant cette date. Quand Charles IX a instauré le 1er janvier comme premier jour de l'année, on ignorait à ce moment-là que cette fois c'était définitif, d'où leur amusement mêlé de lassitude qui les a conduit à faire un faux jour de l'an.
I love this kind of video: I've never noticed that contradiction between "never eat walking" and "eat the new baguette on the go", it's so funny! We're crazy about baguettes, that's why. Also, never seen a bread plate, I think we're used to put the bread on the table because traditionally, it can be seen as a plate and cutlery by itself (that is the way bread was used&eaten in rural areas at least). I disagree with your opinion about April's fool and fake news. French people know to look out for pranks on April's fool, and it makes that day the day when we are the most aware and careful about new information. And the rest of the year, if an article seems weird, many French people know to look up the date of the article. If they forget, some other people will definitely remind them. Anyway, gread video, thanks!
Hi, This is the beauty of travelling! :) Discovering other people and other customs. We are all the same and also so dieffents. First, I would to thank you about this video, I really appreciate the way to describe them and the way you describe your fresh reactions as an american girl! This is a very tiny "echantillons" of hundreds of bizarres customs we can have in France, and there's customs especially followed in some regions. I'm a 45 years old french, and I'm sure I know less than 50% of them. First, about bread. Yes! We have a special relation with bread. This come from the past, our parents, our grandparents literally venerate bread, because it was the basis of the alimentation, everything was made to eat with bread, the bread was in the middle of the table, it was respected as a person. At least when moments was financially difficult what was on the table? bread! And what more than bread can sate people around the table? bread! It was also a symbol of religion, what Christ give to the gospel: bread! So yes, for many reason bread was the center of the french alimentation, it's pretty the same for italian people by the way! I say "was" because since years, bread is less and less the center of your alimentation. Bread from the supermarket is not bread, this is an ersatz of bread, no taste, inconsistent!! About germs... how can I say... Our tables are very clean (thanks Mum!), so no issues about that ! :) About the Bises! I must admit it can be a mess! Even for me, after years sometimes I have to think before, Do I Shake hands or kisses? Usually, it's easy! I kisses all women (because I like bises and I like deliver bises :), but not at work, I shake hands to women. I shake hands to men, except my close relatives, father, sons, brothers, uncles, and very very closed friends. And when you're not familiar with the custom, that's not a big deal, it won't be an offense, just ask people before kiss or shaking hands! How many kisses? Usually it's 2, sometimes 4. Also, if you're confused, just ask before :). And how to kiss? this is important, you just have to touch the cheek with your cheek and make the noise of a kiss. Sainte Catherine day is a real celebration but not really followed anymore, maybe in some village. We called those girls the "catherinettes". In the past having a daughter without a husband before 25 was a problem for parents, now time have changed, women are independant, they make their own life, not waiting "the prince charmant" to starting living. 1st of april, the origin is againfrom christian religion, fish is a christian symbol and the 1st of april is the end of the "careme" (lent). It was a celebration and people made jokes each other, as it was an happy day to restart eating meat and fish. This is more a celebration for kids now, as adults are now prepared to what will happen on the first of april, so every says, every news are analyzed deeply to be sure that's not a "poisson d'avril" as we say. The last best "poisson d'avril" I've experienced was a very serious doc (almost 1 hour long) I've seen on tv on a 1st of april there's about 10 years. This doc was about archeologists that found a huge skeleton of creature in a cave, that could be a dragoon, the doc was so well done, with scientist analysis, that I really thought all was real. But at the end of the doc, all the producers, scenarists, actors meet at the same place and looked at the camera and say : Poisson d'avril! :) So yes, 1st of April is a not serious day in France, but the custom become less and less followed, for many reasons. I give you one custom I like. This come from the region I live, from the west. This is called "courir les oeufs" (run after eggs in english). What is it? In the past, when 18 years old boys had to serve under the flag for one year, the 18 years old boys from the same village meet together at the Church plaza, the purpose was to celebrate their last day together in the village before joining their regiment. So they visited all the 18 years old girl house and ask their father to offer some glass of wine, so the father invited them in the cellar and drink glasses, making jokes, singing, and at the end, they ask for a single egg to the mother. And they repeated the same process in each house. This could last a complete day and a complete night. The morning after, with all the eggs they received they cooked a giant omelette for them and the girls. That was a way to say goodbye to all their friend, girls and boys, a way also to make connection with girls for future soldier, to receive letters for the next year they will spend alone from home. Voilà ! Please continue your videos, I like them! If you want to inventorized all the french customs, it could be very long and a life could not be enough! :)
Hi, I'm French living in Berlin, and if you're interested in cultural comparisons, you should definitely watch Karambolage on arte! It's 10min every week about a few topics about French and German specifics. I'm surprised you didn't talk about the galette des rois, thé chandeleur, the victory days of the 8th of May and the 11th of November, the military parade of the 14th of July, the st Nicolas and so on. Also, it could be interesting to relativise the parisian and the regional point of views, as well as the different aspects of your own region of origin in the US :) There is a strong regional identity in Europe, not so much on the political level, but definitely on the cultural one!
Me neither, I never heard it. However I use to hear "A la Sainte Catherine tout arbre prend racine" because it is actually the good time the year to plant a tree.
About the bread on the table That's because you assume that tables are significantly more dirty than the rest and are actually a danger. It is immensely unlikely that any diseases will be caught by eating bread that sat on a table. I know it might sound strange but it is not a hygiene problem, trust us we know how bread works. It's not like it sat on the actual floor
In America, we will clean the table too of course, but we’re still taught not to set our food directly on it. Doesn’t mean anyone else is less clean. Just a cultural thing. But! In France, we’ll do it your way.
I'm French and I'm laughing so hard! HAHAHAHA. It's impossible not to tear off the tip of the baguette and eat it. But no more than the tip. It's just a thing we allow us to do because it's hard to wait until we get home. Pretty normal. About the placing the bread next to our plate, right on the table it's because it's clean! Why do you say there's germs! So American. Sorry I say this. We eat on clean tables. It's like taking an apple from a table and eat it. And the crumbs? clean too. About the bise, it's also awkward to us too. It should be only 2 bises. No more. I never heard of Saint Catherine's day. Are you sure??? And I'm reading all comments and nobody's ever heard of it. I think they were joking and messing with you. HAHAHAHA.
Barbara Choux My friend who is from Australia asked me why am I always asking the waitress to clean the table? Well because I don’t eat on a dirty table and every time I get a table with him in Australia, for some reasons it’s not completely clean. St Catherine !!! If only I knew about this. That’s why I’m still single.Mince alors. 😂
In America, we will clean the table too of course, but we’re still taught not to set our food directly on it. Doesn’t mean anyone else is less clean. Just a cultural thing. But! In France, we’ll do it your way.
we do not bite into our bread, we do not cut it with a knife, Catholic tradition because we break the bread. The bread is not placed upside down either, because the bread placed upside down was reserved (in the Middle Ages) for the executioner. For the bread plate, you're right, you need one.
St Catherine day in Japan is huge and when I was there a lady reaching 25 with no husband in sight was a problem and sometimes parents(mother in particular) can become pretty pushy about it.
The story of the fish seems linked to the zodiacal sign of Pisces. Because before the Gregorian calendar who put the 29 of February once every 4 year, there was a slow rifting of the moment of the beginning of the spring (aka end of the sign of Pisces) to more than 10 days when they decided to make the change in the middle age. So when the change occurred not only the moment of the beginning of the year changed but also the moment of the end of the sign of Pisces. So people believing that we were still in the Pisces the first of April were taken for fool therefor the pranks and the paper fishes attached in the back...
I’m also a Midwest American in America but working for a French company and my French manager/co-workers all gave me the Bonne Année repeatedly. My French supervisor there stopped a meeting I was leading to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and everyone all wished each person a happy new year around the whole meeting. 😳 This was bizarre to me - welp now I know! 😄
When I lived in Geneve, it was 3 kisses for hello and 2 for goodbye. But now in Estonia it is a handshake for the 1st meeting, and nothing every other time, until you are really good friends, and then you would hug, but not really at work. Unless it is your birthday. Then you get usually a handshake, but sometimes a hug.
Regarding the fish thing in April, I've been told that it's the same reason as why there are chocolate fishes for Easter: Basically, Easter was about celebrating the fact that in Spring, you can fish again without disturbing too much the fishes' reproduction cycle; and April 1st being shortly before that time, it was like pretending you had already started fishing again. Don't know if it's accurate though.
The fish is an early christian symbol, in greek Ichthys means "fish", and it was an acronym for Iēsous Christos Theou Yios Sōtēr ; Jesus Christ, Son of God, our Saviour.
bonjour! I grew up with a French father, and we did learn this about nibbling on the bread on the road. Ha! funny! I teach etiquette, and do tech about the bread plate, and do express to my students that in France, the bread is on the tablecloth. Not sure why. Just their custom, I suppose. lAlso, we grew up wishing everyone "Happy New Year" until maybe about the end of January. Merci.
About the bread, there is more than "just bread" in France due to the christian history of the country, because it's part of the last meal of the Christ. So, there is some spiritual value behind the bread (and so it goes for wine!), and having bread on a table without a plate, breking bread with bare hands, etc. is just the way J. Christ did it in the Bible. Even more, some people do "cross the bread" when putting it on the table (marking a symbolic christian cross on it with your knife). I'd say this is probably old fashion nowadays, but still. And no buggy on the hypothetetic hygienic problem about not having a plate for bred. Noone has ever got any disease because of that! If your table is normally clean, there is no more germs on it than in your own hands or in the air!
And don't forget to let the bread on the right position on the table, if it's reversed, then the devil could come to turn it !! Yes, it's also old fashion :-)
Bread is si important because until recently it was the main source of food for ordinary people, that is why it became a symbol for any food in Christian : it is what keeps you alive in a very concrete sense.
Jean-Marie hands are usually THE most germ ridden surfaces other than the ground we walk on, and most people don't clean as well as they think. Especially public 'eateries' in the U.S. and some other countries, (don't want to call them restaurants), use a dirty towel to 'wipe' the table, so....... also, there have been exposée on TV where they tested different surfaces for germs. It was, ahem, interesting. Having said all that, I don't care that we put the bread on the table in France, and usually there is a tablecloth. In the U.S. I don't know anyone under the age of 70 who uses them. Too bad, I really like that stuff.
@@k.monteil...asalon9357 Having grown up in America id like to clarify of course we clean the table too haha, but we’re still taught not to set our food directly on it. Doesn’t mean anyone else is less clean. Just a cultural thing. But! In France, we’ll do it your way.
There is no plate for the bread because : bread is not dirty, the table is not dirty, you break it in front of you above your plate. There are more reasons to have the fork and knife in a plate
Thank you for the time stamps! In the UK we send Christmas cards, but they have wintery/Christmassy scenes on them - *only politicians and royals* send a card with themselves on!
having lived in France for 30 years now , I can tell you the Bises is always something that is a case by case thing ... some people still only shake hands , some do one cheek , others both , and if the person says “ don’t kiss me” it means they have a cold ... but i always find it wierd giving a bise to guys with semi beards that prickle , or knocking that ladies glasses off ... on the Bread side of life ... everything is easy , However the hardest thing is actually buying it ... there are so many names for the stuff in the various regions that it can often be like going back to beginners french classes ... ps .. there is no S in Marseille .
The bread custom is different at home vs restaurant because of social class differences and all. And because bread is on the table for most French people we don't really use the table (dinner table, kitchen table etc) as Americans do and put anything on it and usually only use to serve food, hence keeping it clean for bread consumption, though some families have the kids do their homework on the table but mostly it's for food ;) I'm mentioning this because in the US, often, the dinner table is used for everything
In my family, we will clean the table before putting a clean table cloth so it's OK for putting bread or cutlery on it. Also, once the meal is finished, the tablecloth is put away to keep it clean.
That makes sense. I grew up using the table for EVERYTHING. not just eating so even a good wipe down wouldn't have made it the cleanest place to stick bread on.
Unintentionally Frenchified ok this is why you talk about germs It’s funny because even in my super fancy aunt that got a huge collection of dinner plates, she never use a bread plate 🤷🏻♀️
Unintentionally Frenchified the table gets a quick wipe down between meals, even at home, we have a laminated tablecloth. Silverware isn’t absorbent, bread is.
Hello, nice video. I like it. Try to answer some question. About the bread on the table: the plate on the table is used for very formal meals where you take out the silverware. In restaurants, it can be a little classy way of presenting the table. In the vast majority of families, the bread is cut in a small basket and each one uses and leaves his bread next to his plate. As a general rule, the question of germs is settled very quickly: Children (and adults) are asked to wash their hands. But in reality, we live with germs and this is part of basic immunotherapy. On the kiss : In fact, the French too can be very uncomfortable with this thing. Two, four, three, one? How many times we find ourselves the beak ready to kiss when the cheek of the other is already moved back. And vice versa. It does make a bit of a bother, but actually not that much. We get out of there by pirouette saying: "ah bah with us it's two (or three or whatever you want). However, it is fashionable to remember what is suitable for this person. To know who to kiss, there is an infallible method: do you feel comfortable kissing this person? In family, between man and woman, adults and children or between men or between women, this is very normal. One day, I had a colleague of Italian origin (I am a bit too) who started kissing me. But I found it natural, unequivocal also I continued. And it is true between men, between friends, without any sexual connotation. For the "happy nex year" : nothing better to say. I think it's like a game now. La "Sainte Catherine : Saint Catherine and the catherinettes. It is an old tradition that is still celebrated in the fashion world where unmarried girls over 25 celebrate their celibacy by wearing hats and clothes in green and yellow tones. In truth, this tradition is very outdated because; on the one hand young women marry later than usual and on the other hand it seems today terribly intrusive and judgmental. It is a tradition which evolves to, perhaps, disappear. The 1st of April ; literraly " fish of April" The best thing is to track down the most beautiful stories told in a very serious tone by the most important newspapers and media. It remains very popular and is approaching the days of the madmen of the Middle Ages. Hope you find here some answers Have a nice day
A bread plate is really only necessary when it's not just bread, but bread and butter. Though also when it can be a different type of bread than baguette or restaurant, such as sliced pain de campagne. A plate can also be elegant for bread rolls rather than the usual chunks of baguette/restaurant served in a bread basket/dish.
I understand how weird all these habits can seem! I am French and I've never heard about anybody celebrating Saint Catherine's day in my region. I agree it is especially weird to receive something on this occasion at work. Now I am living in the US and I was shocked to learn how April 1st is celebrated by sort of bullying others. I thought the fish idea was a bit more nicer :) And I do miss nibbling on baguette on my way back from the boulangerie (of course the bread is much better right after buying it haha)...!
A bread plate is just useless because the bread is not wet and because it is manipulated anyway by the baker, the baker's seller and then the cook... and placed in different places.
Hi Kate, love this video! As a Franco-American who grew up in France, I definitely agree with your points on la bise, bread, and April Fool's. I've never heard of Sainte Catherine, so I'm curious, what exactly did they do in your office for it? Did they actually publicly single out single women in the office? Also, I hope you'll do a Q&A soon :)
The feast of Saint Catherine is a religious feast that tends to disappear. Currently, women marry later or already have children before they get married. In the old time, before the 1960s, you never went out without wearing a hat, whether men or women.
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I'm French and I don't know what Saint Catherine is xD
Why no bread plate ? Simple answer : Because it's useless ! The proof ? How many people do you know who have been intoxicated by bread put directly on the table ?... ;-)
You are right ^_^ There is a plate or a small basket at the restaurant because so many clients at the table (turn after turn) that we suppose the table is not clean !
We used to have dedicated safes for the bread named "huches à pain", but it's uncommon nowadays. But you can see the bread leaved directly on his cutting board named "planche à pain"
1:50 if you take a piece of bread without touching the other ones, you dont have any risk with germs. But If you touch several ones before choosing yours, it will be considered very rude and dirty
Pour la bise, t'embêtes pas: vas-y pour 2, et si l'autre insiste pour 3, tu peux en ajouter une. Mais concrètement, 2 est devenu la norme en France, l'usage le plus courant pour lequel personne n'a à se sentir gêné(e).
We put bread on the table without plate because bread used to be the plate for centuries and our tables are clean btw. That’s a difference between a 5 centuries old country and 1500 years old one.
Good on you for avoiding being too judgemental about Saint Catherine's day like some others did in the comments. In my home, we just gave gifts to unmarried women. It was extremely popular and I was kind of jealous about the girls getting an extra holiday :-D
Re St Catherine, it was a custom in many English areas to pray to her for a husband (even after the Reformation ;) but we never did the hats. The prayers you read out actually come from a chapel of hers in Abbotsbury, Dorset (about 60 miles from where I grew up, so I heard about it) where girls used to go and they were written down by a folklorist in the 19th century.
Saint Catherine is an old custom, from XIXth centary and before (sometime yet used in some countryside). But some commercials advertisers tried to use it again to make money. it's more often used as a second level, ironic, humour, now.
Le premier avril était le début de l'année jusqu'au XIVieme siècle. pour le poisson, j'ai trouvé ces explications (copié-collé) : "La première raconte qu'au début du mois d'avril, alors que la pêche était interdite en France pendant la période de reproduction des poissons, les pêcheurs se voyaient "offrir" un hareng. Le poisson mort accroché dans le dos fut remplacé, au fil du temps, par un poisson en papier. Une seconde histoire, plus récente, veut que le poisson en avril était symbole du Carême, période chrétienne où il n'est permis de manger que du poisson (aucune autre viande). Enfin une dernière histoire assure que le poisson vient du signe du zodiaque "poisson" qui se trouve être le dernier signe de l'hiver. Ainsi au début du XXème siècle, on s'envoyait des cartes de 1er Avril illustrées par des petits poissons, pour se souhaiter amour, amitié et bonheur ! "
C'est plus quelque chose qu'on voit dans le Nord de la France. Avant d'y déménager j'en avais ja-mais entendu parler. Et ensuite j'ai appris ce qu'était la Ste Catherine, que c'était important, qu'on envoyait des cartes, certaines reçoivent des cadeaux etc. :)
si tu es attentive, c'est souvent les caissières de supermarché qui me font réaliser que c'est la période des catherinettes... (j'habite vers Nice et quoique cette tradition semble venir du nord, il y a toujours une ou deux caissières affublées de chapeaux verts extravagants...)
As to St. Catherine's: There are similar customs in parts of Germany (where I currently reside). Unmarried women above a certain age (depends on the region) will sweep the stairs of th ecity hall or the local church - hoping to attract a husband. In most cases this is nowadays more of an opportunity to have a laugh and hang out with friends; a bit like a bachelor's or bachelorette's night out. Which in turn is an - to me weird - American custom getting more and more traction over here. I mean why spend a night explicitely WITHOUT your future significant other before getting married? Would it not make more sense to have a huge party with the both of you and BOTH your respective circles of friends so they can get to know each other in a less formalized, relaxed atmosphere before having major akwardnesses at the wedding reception? That is basically the German custom of "Polterabend" which is getting more and more supplanted by Bachelor(ette) outings.But I digress. Bread plates: I think this has - like many a food related culture shock - something to do with the very different climates and environments between (Western) Europe and the US. There is a winter here, so creepy crawly things get killed by frost annually (as of yet). So we do not need to e.g. make sure all our cereals and other sweet stuff is airtight so insects cant get in. Not so in the Southern US, where you have to take real care with that.Same for food poisoning germs. Germs will proliferate a LOT faster at outside temperatures in the 30°C (excuse my metric) range than in the 10°C range. Naturally different customs around food safety will arise taking that into account. As an aside: raw pork is nigh unthinkable for eating in the US but actually commonly eaten with great delight in parts of Germany. Reason: the pork will not go bad as quickly in colder weather - and there is a law in Germany requiring veterinaries to inspect all pork for trichinae (the parasites causing trichinosis). Thus it is safe to eat in one place but not so much in the other. Also bear in mind that the distinction between "safe/yummy" to eat and "unsafe/yucky" is taught to us in early childhood. We therefore have very deep-seated opinions on those kinds of topics and are easily bewildered by people eating or drinking meals that to us are "clearly" yucky/unsafe.
Haha the carte for bise is so accurate. I am from the part close east of Nantes where all the colors are mixed. Nobody knows how many we have to do so it's randomly 3 or 4 usually. But sometimes one (like in highschool). And sometimes two. Sometimes the number change whether you are arriving somewhere are leaving. XD
Hi! It's definitely rough. Hard enough getting used to la bise in one place (which side to go on, how many to give, when to do it), but then it totally changes when you move and throws you for a curveball!
La Sainte Catherine est une fête pour les filles de 25 ans qui ne sont pas mariées !! Cette fête est célébrée plutôt dans les petits villes et villages comme celle de Bessans en Savoie où elles sont même costumées pour l'occasion. Quand on ne connaît pas , on s'abstient de laisser des commentaires et toc !! prends ça !!
THE BREAD PLATEEEE!!!! YES!!!! I once was hanging out with a guy, and when we had breakfast, I was so adamant on getting a plate or napkin for my croissant. HE ATE IT RIGHT ON THE TABLE! Hahahaha! God, I was sooo, not really mind boggled, but confused at first until I remembered that they don't really use plates for their breads. Ugh, that drives me wild! CRUMBS EVERYWHERE! GERMS ARE EVERYWHERE, PEOPLE! edit to add: I have heard of Saint Catherine's day because my Parisian friend just celebrated it last year!! She said that she celebrates it even though she's engaged because she isn't married yet.
As France is more on the non-religious side I have never of this tradition in my entire life, so it is really the first time that hear of St-Catherine’s day.
Aaaah, the baguette crunchy end ! It’s also because when the bread is still warm from the oven, it’s toooooo tempting ! The poisson d’avril IS fake news ! 😄
We put the bread on the side because (I think) during the Renaissance, poor people used to eat on the bread to replace the plates they couldn’t offer, putting it on the side was considered as something for rich people/nobility, so doing so was something to respect.
I see so many ppl saying “the table is clean! “ In reference to putting bread on it. In America, we will clean the table too of course, but we’re still taught not to set our food directly on it. Doesn’t mean anyone else is less clean. Just a cultural thing. But! In France, we’ll do it your way.
About the no-bread plate, it really depends on the families, some have a basket with pre-cut bread, some, like mine, have a "ramasse-miettes", a crumb collector on which you cut your bread and most of the crumbs fall through the grid. But actually, your table is supposed to be as clean as your dishes, so I would not be afraid of germs, there are as many on each surface. Your table is cleaned 3 times or more per day, meanwhile your plate can sit weeks in the cupboard without being used...
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified It looks like this www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjpg66smavnAhVk16YKHbtOAfUQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.laboutiquedeschefs.com%2Fcoutellerie%2Fcouteaux-de-cuisine%2Fcouteaux-a-pain%2Fplanche-a-pain-ramasse-miettes-en-hetre&psig=AOvVaw1pSz4C57M97V7jqSqoHZg_&ust=1580469369261797 I actually prefer having my bread on such kind of cutting boards on my dinner table, but many people use a clean towel or nothing at all. Some don't cut bread, just tear it off, but it's not cool if you want "tartines".
In some of the fancier restaurants, not only in France, the waiters use a crumb scraper between courses so there is no mess if there is no bread plate. (They still scrape your eating area between courses even with a bread plate). I found that quite intrusive myself though.
The number of « bises » is also confusing for the french, don’t worry. For the sainte Catherine, i know the custom but it’s very rare this days, i’m sure the new generation does not ever heard about that
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified some commercial company tried to commercialy reused the old custom, for advertising and increase the sales (fashion,....). Any occasion to sell something.
About bread eating. I plead guilty (Frenchman here) and for a reason. When you leave the boulangerie with the hot bread and its perfume, I believe no one can resist. Bread plate in fine restaurant is of course mandatory. I leave my bread on my napkin when there is no special plate. About la Bise: often, adults shake hands and I was until I worked in the UK to learn that a smile and hello, hya would be enough. La bise is for teen-agers and women, for boys it is kinda rare ("Ca ne se fait pas entre mecs") unless in the family and very close family friends.. Poisson d'avril: in the 18th Century, "donner un poisson to someone" meant to make believe a fake or joke news (April's fool's day almost anywhere) and so, sometimes, instead of a fake news, people attach to someone's back a paper fish. Innofensive and fun.
I am french but currently living in thailand and lived in the UK, US, Dubai also. In thailand every day at 8am and 6pm the national anthem will played everywhere and everyone will stop to respect it. First time this happened to me I was in the metro and really did not understand what was happening. Also when I first arrived in Dubai i remember many men holding hands to each other which was strange to me. There are many Pakistan men living in the UAE and when very good friends they will hold hands almost like a couple but this is totally normal to them
J'ai 38 ans et je suis toujours une Catherinette :). Autrefois, du temps de ma grand-mère, c'était quelque chose d'un peu honteux (surtout à la campagne) d'avoir 25 ans et de ne pas être mariée, c'était synonyme d'être ou de devenir une "vieille fille".
Hey ! Traditionally, wealthy people had more dishes and cutlery. It's was a marker of social status to have different type of knives and forks for each type of meal for example. The bread plate fallows the same logic and allowed rich people's table to be neater. Nowadays you can only find all of the above in fancy restaurants or special family occasions ... (come on, who needs bread plates xD) For St Catherine, it's mostly forgotten. Some girls that happened to be single on St Catherine's the year they are 25 take that occasion to throw a party or bring drinks at work. To be honest, it's hardly offensive nowadays. Lots of 25 years old women are single and at that age, there is no (yet) social pressure to be in couple.
Salut. The bread crums are shaken out from the table cloth outside to feed the birdies. I have served as a waiter twice during celebrations of Saint Catherine's Day. We organize such meals to mix people male and female who have reached their thirties and are still celibate. They often wear yellow and green outfits. The male waiters sometimes dress as waitresses and vice versa, just for fun. I have twisted my ankles a few times and hate high heals and removing make up.
Because you don't know anyone who celebrate it, no one does it ? We do it in my family but it's actually just the teenage girls receiving a present on November 25 instead of December 6, nothing like what is explained in the video and never heard of it being celebrated in a company, must be so weird ^^'
Being French, I've never heard about Saint Catherine's Day other than a saying for gardeners (like the things you can plant or cut in your garden). I guess it's an old fashionned tradition only a very few people still do just as a pretext to have fun with each other...
My dad was from France and my mom from Québec, Canada so I may be confusing the customs, but as a kid I remember there were four bises when you met someone for the first time, three for family not seen for a long time and two when it was someone closer to you like a friend, co-worker, frequently seen relatives... there was also the question of which side to start on as well as whether it was an actual kiss on the cheek, a kissy noise made while touching cheeks or a downright air kiss where you don’t touch at all, just make the kiss noise in the general direction of their cheek.
The bise, usually i just kinda lean towards the person and they usually will go left or right, i have family in the south so i learned the 3 bise quickly lol. There is also the rule of when you leave you kiss everyone good bye or if you have seen the person earlier and you've already "bised' them and say you see them later you dont need to bise them again, at least this is what I have learned from my Parisian husband. Fun video
I'm French and I've never heard of Saint Catherine's day. I don't think people really celebrate it.
It's common in more rural place, at least here in northern France
But now it celebrate all girls up to 25 who aren't married, at least that's how we celebrate it in the region
S Boo Si les Catherinettes devaient mettre un chapeau de paille . Enfin les 25/35 pas les plus âgées .
C'est une très grosse coutume dans la mode, tous les ans les maisons de couture font une fête pour les Catherinettes de l'année, elles reçoivent un cadeau de la Maison et leurs collègues leur fabriquent des chapeaux fous en rapport le plus souvent avec leur personnalité ou leur poste dans l'entreprise. J'ai moi même pu réaliser quelques chapeaux pour mes collègues ! Il y a ensuite un défilé à l'Hotel de ville de Paris, organisé par la mairie et la fédération du prêt a porter. Et depuis quelques années les garçons ne sont plus exclus, car ils ont maintenant ajouté les Nicolas, pendant masculin de la Catherinette! 😊
j habite dans le centre et ...siiii,on t oblige a porter un chapeau ridicule,pour attire un probable pretendant..heureusement,t as un ptit cadeau ,moi j ai eu une machine a café!:)
To bise or not to bise, that is the question.
LOL
I always bise, it's the secret
That is the kvetchin'.
I settled the bise stuff : 1- a guy =shake hands (unless he is among the 5 closest= bisou).2- a married woman (up to 45+) put your hands on her cheeks and kiss her lightly on the forehead, 3- below 30 married or not number of kisses is proportional and deep to how pretty and how smooth the skin😇. If I like her very much she’ll get the long forehead kiss. Which is my warmest paternal blessing🙏 .Above 45- 50 it all blurry, oooops 🤷🏼
Nowadays it doesn't matter, there is no bise at all!
If you hesitate between bise or handshake follow this technique : just raise your hand, as if you would go for a handshake (your hand must be quite high, palm facing down). If the other person goes for a bise, just land your hand on their shoulder while you return their bise. Always smooth.
This is a very good strategy benjamin. Like how you're thinking!
Benjamin Djian Very good idea not only to make things easier for yourself but leaving the option for the other person’s comfort level is very sweet!!
Or alternatively, you can softly grab their biceps. That avoids having to reach for the shoulder.
But that’s nitpicking to be honest.
Love this technique Benjamin
I'm french but I have never seen anyone do the Saint Catherine day. I actually learned about it when I was something like 23 and if anyone were to celebrate such a thing to me, I would be so offended! It's definitely not something common in my region.
I heard about it like once in my whole life, it seemed to me it was more of a joke than anything else. In any case, it is NOT normal for a company to celebrate it.
What a misery not to know sainte Catherine, the best villages parties ever with wine, beer and pork sausages !
Mesdames dites ce qui pour vous n'est pas offensant de nos jours, ça ira plus vite que de faire la liste de tout ce que la méchante société patriarcale vous inflige
Flo F some friends did this toe at work, but it was very funny, they were creative with the har, I did not feel offended, none of us was married anyway
cela existe mais ce n'est vraiemnt plus d'actualité. A part dans certains milieux très limités, comme la mode, la bourgeoisie (un peu comme les "Rally") mais ça tend à disparaître.... ;)
About the bise, the number is one thing but I think you forgot the next level: on which side to start. Depending the region in France, we either start the bise from the left cheek or the right one.
Oh geez, how could i forget that one. When you almost accidentally give a smack on the lips because you both go to the same side... LOL
Par defaut le nombre de bises qui passera partout c'est 2. Mais s'il n'y a pas d'accord sur le nombre, c'est a mon sens pour 3 raisons:
- revendiquer son régionalisme et montrer qu'on est ici chez "soi"
- que la personne qui n'est pas "chez elle" fasse preuve d'humilité et de respect en adaptant le nombre de ses bises à la personne qui est de la région et qui reçoit
- pour garder le côté sympa et social d'échanger sur des différences de coutumes locales lorsque l'on se rencontre et qu'on agit differemment. Ca cree du lien ;)
Oui je suis de Paris et j'ai ce problème quand je vais à Perpignan. Je venais d'écrire un commentaire sur cette bizarrerie
et aussi est-ce que tu fais du joue contre joue avec un bruit de bisou dans le vent ou alors est-ce que tu fais un bisou sur la joue de l'autre pour de vrai...
Ce commentaire vient de me faire réaliser que je commence toujours la bise par la joue droite...
J’ai donc été formaté à suivre une règle tacite de ma région sans même m’en rendre compte...
I'm French, in my early 40's, and I absolutely know Saint Catherine and the "catherinettes". But it was already disappearing when I was young, because it's offensive, so I understand that so many people do not know about it.
Almost 25 years ago, in Paris, I was a Catherinette it was a fun day, I enjoyed it !! My family got me a beautiful green hat with flowers that I got to wear all day even at work. Everybody smiled at me and wished me a happy saint Catherine !! 💚💚💚
I'm French and this is the first time I heard about Saint Catherine
thanks you i was like "wtf" vraiment bizarre pour le coup >
Bah on parle des Catherinettes mais c'est vrai que c'est pas vraiment populaire. C'est plutôt dans les milieux cathos.
@@CyllidCastle pourtant ma grand mère est assez religieuse, pas au point de me bourré le mou avec ça mais j'en ai jamais entendu parler... je me coucherais moins bêtes ^^'
I'm French, I'm 35 and I've never heard about it either.
Chez moi, on offrait des cadeaux aux filles quand elles sont ados jusqu'à ce qu'elles aient 25 ans, ou deviennent mariées.
"germs on the table"... Typical American reaction and their obsession with everything that has to be sanitized. I would say that cutting the baguette is kind of a friendly and warm tradition among people sharing a meal. As for the crumbs, you just shake the tablecloth once the meal is over.
Les réflexions des Ricains concernant notre façon de vivre me font doucement rigoler, plutôt me fatiguent car recevoir des leçons par des barjots qui ne sont peut être jamais sortis de leur état de plus pour l'hygiène gardez vos opinions ET balayez devant votre porte d'abord.
Sur ce j'arrête d'écouter cette femme j'ai l'impression d'être dans un élevage de canards et mes oreilles vont explorer.
Veloma.
@@francisleveque2939 She's an American talking to Americans. There are surely many things that Americans do that are weird to people from other countries. Vive la difference. Ha ha.
Before asking why we, French, do not used a bread plate, she should ask why they, American, are using a bread plate in the first place.
As for germ, if you don't put your bread on the table because it's full of germs, you shouldn't not eat on this table in the first place. Or maybe, just clean the table.
J'ai travaillé il y a très longtemps dans le "catering" international (livraison de plateaux repas et boissons sur les avions).
Les normes d'hygiène étaient drastiques dès qu'il s'agissait des vols en provenance-partance pour les USA.
Il fallait porter des gants jetables une blouse blanche et un masque jetable devant la bouche pour accéder à certains de leurs avions.
Pourtant, les américains partagent leur popcorn, leurs ailes de poulets qui sont servis au cinéma ou dans les KFC dans des grands "gobelets" en carton dans lesquels il piochent joyeusement ...Cherchez l'erreur ! :)
Avec les normes alimentaires déplorables comparées à celles de l'UE, et les mesures pour tenter d'y pallier ( poulets lavés au chlore ), pas étonnant qu'ils ne veulent pas en rajouter...
The bread plate at upscale restaurants is likely because they draw in more wealthy foreigners who expect a plate. So, they cater to their clients' expectations.
The French people also expect a plate.
Jacques Munier In upscale restaurants, yes. In any other places or at home, I don’t give a damn. I will use my plate to store my bread if I don’t want it to touch the table. 😊
Platycqb wtf? At home bread on the table, in a restaurant bread in a basket ... what is this plate thing?
The French do eat sandwiches, croque monsieur and croque madame, in the street -- sometimes hot dogs, but for anything else (except regionally), they'll find somewhere to sit first, even just on a wall. There's no taboo about it though, and nobody will look you askance if you eat a pizza slice on the street.
As for the bises, one peculiarity is that you give one bise to those friends you have most affection to. Bises between two men is a South of France thing, or sometimes in the North between family members only.
The celebration of particular Saint's Days and their Feasts varies, partly regionally, but mostly from one village to the next.
And actually, the woman's role prior to the invention of modern conveniences starting from the late 19th Century was in the household, not as a modern housekeeper, but to be in charge and in control of the entire household (which included the household vegetable patch and chickens etc in the yard, and being in charge of who was doing what work). It was a profession, not just a series of meaningless chores.
April 1st used to be New Year's Day, 'til 1582, and the original April "fools" were those who hadn't realised it had shifted to January. People began making fun of them, which turned into the custom of doing so. No idea about the fish though !!
Sainte Catherine? Who celebrates that?! Never heard of it..
It seems to be pretty rare but in the fashion and luxury industry you can still see it!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified that's an almost entirely disappeared custom. And for the prayer basically no one does that prayer anymore. If you find one woman who had do it I would be surprised. Maybe from the generation born in the 1920?
Another one of those weird “niche” patrons I guess
Well... we celebrate st Catherine's in my family but not at all like that... it just replaces st Nicolas' day for children when a girl becomes a teenager and basically, you just receive a present on november 25th instead of December 6th... and it is supposed to stop when the girl marries or turns 25 (at least in my family)
maa-chan that’s interesting.. is that a Catholic thing?
Thanks for your videos.
About the bread, i would guess it's because, a long time ago, the bread was the plate.
That's the most likely answer, I won't say that's 100% right but that's what I remember being taught, the bread was the plate during the Middle Ages.
I didn't even think of that!
Yes, it was called a "tranchoir" : half a round bread, in which you would put the meat or soup or anything.
@@CyllidCastle wonderfull ! avec accent ;)
I'm french and I don't like the fact that we have to bise when we meet someone but thanks to coronavirus, I don't have to bise everyone and I'm so happy 😂
@ Unintentionally Frenchified
En France, avant le 16° siècle, le jour de l'an se fêtait le 1er avril. C'est le roi Charles IX qui a changé cette date et fait démarrer l'année au 1er janvier. Traditionnellement, les gens préparaient donc un repas de fête le 1er avril et s'échangeaient des cadeaux à la fin du repas en se souhaitant la bonne année.
Maintenant que vous avez vécu en France et que vous connaissez un peu mieux le caractère très taquin et très rebel des français, et plus encore leur allergie à tout ce qui s'apparente à une réforme, qui à leur yeux n'a pas de sens (ou plutôt qui ne va pas dans le bon sens), vous comprendrez alors pourquoi ces derniers ont préféré accueillir cette transformation de leurs habitudes comme une immense blague.
Les français ont donc décidé de continuer à célébrer le 1er avril à leur façon et de créer ainsi un simulacre de jour de l'an et s'offrir de faux cadeaux, des vêtements hors d'usage par exemple, des récipients troués, etc. et de faire des canulars. Mais tout ça c'était surtout pour se moquer du pouvoir en place et ses décisions loufoques.
Pour ce qui est du "poisson", c'est toujours dans la même idée de simulacre de repas de fête ou de cadeaux bidons, que certains d'entre-eux ont déposé sur la table du repas de fête, une arrête de poisson comme plat principal de ce faux jour de l'an plutôt qu'un poisson entier qui était traditionnellement le plat servi le jour de l'an... :)
Lets Chill Page Je savais pas ! Tu as une source ?
@@zachariecortes Oui, Historia et d'autres magasines spécialisés. En fait la date du 1er de l'an a déjà été changée plusieurs fois avant cette date. Quand Charles IX a instauré le 1er janvier comme premier jour de l'année, on ignorait à ce moment-là que cette fois c'était définitif, d'où leur amusement mêlé de lassitude qui les a conduit à faire un faux jour de l'an.
Lets Chill Page merci des infos :-) !
I love this kind of video: I've never noticed that contradiction between "never eat walking" and "eat the new baguette on the go", it's so funny! We're crazy about baguettes, that's why.
Also, never seen a bread plate, I think we're used to put the bread on the table because traditionally, it can be seen as a plate and cutlery by itself (that is the way bread was used&eaten in rural areas at least).
I disagree with your opinion about April's fool and fake news. French people know to look out for pranks on April's fool, and it makes that day the day when we are the most aware and careful about new information. And the rest of the year, if an article seems weird, many French people know to look up the date of the article. If they forget, some other people will definitely remind them.
Anyway, gread video, thanks!
Hi, This is the beauty of travelling! :) Discovering other people and other customs. We are all the same and also so dieffents.
First, I would to thank you about this video, I really appreciate the way to describe them and the way you describe your fresh reactions as an american girl! This is a very tiny "echantillons" of hundreds of bizarres customs we can have in France, and there's customs especially followed in some regions. I'm a 45 years old french, and I'm sure I know less than 50% of them.
First, about bread. Yes! We have a special relation with bread. This come from the past, our parents, our grandparents literally venerate bread, because it was the basis of the alimentation, everything was made to eat with bread, the bread was in the middle of the table, it was respected as a person. At least when moments was financially difficult what was on the table? bread! And what more than bread can sate people around the table? bread! It was also a symbol of religion, what Christ give to the gospel: bread! So yes, for many reason bread was the center of the french alimentation, it's pretty the same for italian people by the way! I say "was" because since years, bread is less and less the center of your alimentation. Bread from the supermarket is not bread, this is an ersatz of bread, no taste, inconsistent!! About germs... how can I say... Our tables are very clean (thanks Mum!), so no issues about that ! :)
About the Bises! I must admit it can be a mess! Even for me, after years sometimes I have to think before, Do I Shake hands or kisses? Usually, it's easy! I kisses all women (because I like bises and I like deliver bises :), but not at work, I shake hands to women. I shake hands to men, except my close relatives, father, sons, brothers, uncles, and very very closed friends. And when you're not familiar with the custom, that's not a big deal, it won't be an offense, just ask people before kiss or shaking hands! How many kisses? Usually it's 2, sometimes 4. Also, if you're confused, just ask before :). And how to kiss? this is important, you just have to touch the cheek with your cheek and make the noise of a kiss.
Sainte Catherine day is a real celebration but not really followed anymore, maybe in some village. We called those girls the "catherinettes". In the past having a daughter without a husband before 25 was a problem for parents, now time have changed, women are independant, they make their own life, not waiting "the prince charmant" to starting living.
1st of april, the origin is againfrom christian religion, fish is a christian symbol and the 1st of april is the end of the "careme" (lent). It was a celebration and people made jokes each other, as it was an happy day to restart eating meat and fish. This is more a celebration for kids now, as adults are now prepared to what will happen on the first of april, so every says, every news are analyzed deeply to be sure that's not a "poisson d'avril" as we say. The last best "poisson d'avril" I've experienced was a very serious doc (almost 1 hour long) I've seen on tv on a 1st of april there's about 10 years. This doc was about archeologists that found a huge skeleton of creature in a cave, that could be a dragoon, the doc was so well done, with scientist analysis, that I really thought all was real. But at the end of the doc, all the producers, scenarists, actors meet at the same place and looked at the camera and say : Poisson d'avril! :) So yes, 1st of April is a not serious day in France, but the custom become less and less followed, for many reasons.
I give you one custom I like. This come from the region I live, from the west. This is called "courir les oeufs" (run after eggs in english). What is it? In the past, when 18 years old boys had to serve under the flag for one year, the 18 years old boys from the same village meet together at the Church plaza, the purpose was to celebrate their last day together in the village before joining their regiment. So they visited all the 18 years old girl house and ask their father to offer some glass of wine, so the father invited them in the cellar and drink glasses, making jokes, singing, and at the end, they ask for a single egg to the mother. And they repeated the same process in each house. This could last a complete day and a complete night. The morning after, with all the eggs they received they cooked a giant omelette for them and the girls. That was a way to say goodbye to all their friend, girls and boys, a way also to make connection with girls for future soldier, to receive letters for the next year they will spend alone from home.
Voilà !
Please continue your videos, I like them! If you want to inventorized all the french customs, it could be very long and a life could not be enough! :)
So nice to hear your explanation of so many things! Really lovely, thank you!
Hi, I'm French living in Berlin, and if you're interested in cultural comparisons, you should definitely watch Karambolage on arte! It's 10min every week about a few topics about French and German specifics.
I'm surprised you didn't talk about the galette des rois, thé chandeleur, the victory days of the 8th of May and the 11th of November, the military parade of the 14th of July, the st Nicolas and so on. Also, it could be interesting to relativise the parisian and the regional point of views, as well as the different aspects of your own region of origin in the US :)
There is a strong regional identity in Europe, not so much on the political level, but definitely on the cultural one!
Thanks so much for this!
Damn, that last name tho o.0
I never heard about the St Catherine's day... I've never met one person celebrating that xD
me neither, not sure it's really still present
I was about to comment saying that I'm French, I'm 30, and I have never ever heard of St Catherine's day.
I’m French also and never heard of that.
Me neither & knowing how saint Catherine was when she was alive I wouldn’t celebrate it that’s just me.
Me neither, I never heard it. However I use to hear "A la Sainte Catherine tout arbre prend racine" because it is actually the good time the year to plant a tree.
About the bread on the table
That's because you assume that tables are significantly more dirty than the rest and are actually a danger. It is immensely unlikely that any diseases will be caught by eating bread that sat on a table. I know it might sound strange but it is not a hygiene problem, trust us we know how bread works.
It's not like it sat on the actual floor
In America, we will clean the table too of course, but we’re still taught not to set our food directly on it. Doesn’t mean anyone else is less clean. Just a cultural thing. But! In France, we’ll do it your way.
I'm French and I'm laughing so hard! HAHAHAHA. It's impossible not to tear off the tip of the baguette and eat it. But no more than the tip. It's just a thing we allow us to do because it's hard to wait until we get home. Pretty normal. About the placing the bread next to our plate, right on the table it's because it's clean! Why do you say there's germs! So American. Sorry I say this. We eat on clean tables. It's like taking an apple from a table and eat it. And the crumbs? clean too. About the bise, it's also awkward to us too. It should be only 2 bises. No more. I never heard of Saint Catherine's day. Are you sure??? And I'm reading all comments and nobody's ever heard of it. I think they were joking and messing with you. HAHAHAHA.
Barbara Choux My friend who is from Australia asked me why am I always asking the waitress to clean the table? Well because I don’t eat on a dirty table and every time I get a table with him in Australia, for some reasons it’s not completely clean. St Catherine !!! If only I knew about this. That’s why I’m still single.Mince alors. 😂
necilya In New Zealand one MUST have individual side plate or basket for the bread.
In America, we will clean the table too of course, but we’re still taught not to set our food directly on it. Doesn’t mean anyone else is less clean. Just a cultural thing. But! In France, we’ll do it your way.
Why are the French always saying "that's SO American" and it's always something negative? Do you guys hate us that much, lol?
we do not bite into our bread, we do not cut it with a knife, Catholic tradition because we break the bread. The bread is not placed upside down either, because the bread placed upside down was reserved (in the Middle Ages) for the executioner. For the bread plate, you're right, you need one.
St Catherine day in Japan is huge and when I was there a lady reaching 25 with no husband in sight was a problem and sometimes parents(mother in particular) can become pretty pushy about it.
germs in small amounts (ie a clean table) are healthy as they help build your immune system.
This did not age well for restaurants given the pandemic.
The story of the fish seems linked to the zodiacal sign of Pisces.
Because before the Gregorian calendar who put the 29 of February once every 4 year, there was a slow rifting of the moment of the beginning of the spring (aka end of the sign of Pisces) to more than 10 days when they decided to make the change in the middle age. So when the change occurred not only the moment of the beginning of the year changed but also the moment of the end of the sign of Pisces. So people believing that we were still in the Pisces the first of April were taken for fool therefor the pranks and the paper fishes attached in the back...
I’m also a Midwest American in America but working for a French company and my French manager/co-workers all gave me the Bonne Année repeatedly. My French supervisor there stopped a meeting I was leading to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and everyone all wished each person a happy new year around the whole meeting. 😳 This was bizarre to me - welp now I know! 😄
For the bread plate, you answered in your question : it's only (or mostly) in really fancy restaurants or events
There's usually a disposable paper covering the table, so it's not that big of a deal in terms of hygene.
When I lived in Geneve, it was 3 kisses for hello and 2 for goodbye. But now in Estonia it is a handshake for the 1st meeting, and nothing every other time, until you are really good friends, and then you would hug, but not really at work. Unless it is your birthday. Then you get usually a handshake, but sometimes a hug.
LOL
This is funny! So man exception!
St Catherine is now just an occasion to make a party, is just for fun. And in compagny I don't see this
I'm French and never in my life have I ever met someone celebrating Saint Catherine day
I really like your delivery.
Your videos make me more interested in French culture than I ever expected to be.
You make the best videos! However the comments 🤪🤣 have me as well this time. Can’t wait for the next one.
Regarding the fish thing in April, I've been told that it's the same reason as why there are chocolate fishes for Easter: Basically, Easter was about celebrating the fact that in Spring, you can fish again without disturbing too much the fishes' reproduction cycle; and April 1st being shortly before that time, it was like pretending you had already started fishing again. Don't know if it's accurate though.
The fish is an early christian symbol, in greek Ichthys means "fish", and it was an acronym for Iēsous Christos Theou Yios Sōtēr ; Jesus Christ, Son of God, our Saviour.
bonjour! I grew up with a French father, and we did learn this about nibbling on the bread on the road. Ha! funny! I teach etiquette, and do tech about the bread plate, and do express to my students that in France, the bread is on the tablecloth. Not sure why. Just their custom, I suppose. lAlso, we grew up wishing everyone "Happy New Year" until maybe about the end of January. Merci.
I'm French, and I've never heard of St Catherine.
About the bread, there is more than "just bread" in France due to the christian history of the country, because it's part of the last meal of the Christ. So, there is some spiritual value behind the bread (and so it goes for wine!), and having bread on a table without a plate, breking bread with bare hands, etc. is just the way J. Christ did it in the Bible. Even more, some people do "cross the bread" when putting it on the table (marking a symbolic christian cross on it with your knife). I'd say this is probably old fashion nowadays, but still.
And no buggy on the hypothetetic hygienic problem about not having a plate for bred. Noone has ever got any disease because of that! If your table is normally clean, there is no more germs on it than in your own hands or in the air!
And don't forget to let the bread on the right position on the table, if it's reversed, then the devil could come to turn it !! Yes, it's also old fashion :-)
Bread is si important because until recently it was the main source of food for ordinary people, that is why it became a symbol for any food in Christian : it is what keeps you alive in a very concrete sense.
Jean-Marie hands are usually THE most germ ridden surfaces other than the ground we walk on, and most people don't clean as well as they think. Especially public 'eateries' in the U.S. and some other countries, (don't want to call them restaurants), use a dirty towel to 'wipe' the table, so....... also, there have been exposée on TV where they tested different surfaces for germs. It was, ahem, interesting. Having said all that, I don't care that we put the bread on the table in France, and usually there is a tablecloth. In the U.S. I don't know anyone under the age of 70 who uses them. Too bad, I really like that stuff.
@@k.monteil...asalon9357 Having grown up in America id like to clarify of course we clean the table too haha, but we’re still taught not to set our food directly on it. Doesn’t mean anyone else is less clean. Just a cultural thing. But! In France, we’ll do it your way.
It’s January 31st and I’m still hearing bonne année 😂
There is no plate for the bread because : bread is not dirty, the table is not dirty, you break it in front of you above your plate. There are more reasons to have the fork and knife in a plate
Thank you for the time stamps!
In the UK we send Christmas cards, but they have wintery/Christmassy scenes on them - *only politicians and royals* send a card with themselves on!
That was “eckspecially” interesting
having lived in France for 30 years now , I can tell you the Bises is always something that is a case by case thing ... some people still only shake hands , some do one cheek , others both , and if the person says “ don’t kiss me” it means they have a cold ... but i always find it wierd giving a bise to guys with semi beards that prickle , or knocking that ladies glasses off ...
on the Bread side of life ... everything is easy , However the hardest thing is actually buying it ... there are so many names for the stuff in the various regions that it can often be like going back to beginners french classes ...
ps .. there is no S in Marseille .
It's true, and I'm French, in the end everyone deals with his personal comfort zone, a lot of people are avoiding it, it's not that impolite.
The bread custom is different at home vs restaurant because of social class differences and all. And because bread is on the table for most French people we don't really use the table (dinner table, kitchen table etc) as Americans do and put anything on it and usually only use to serve food, hence keeping it clean for bread consumption, though some families have the kids do their homework on the table but mostly it's for food ;) I'm mentioning this because in the US, often, the dinner table is used for everything
In my family, we will clean the table before putting a clean table cloth so it's OK for putting bread or cutlery on it. Also, once the meal is finished, the tablecloth is put away to keep it clean.
That makes sense. I grew up using the table for EVERYTHING. not just eating so even a good wipe down wouldn't have made it the cleanest place to stick bread on.
Thats true! We put silverware on the table so why not bread. It's the same thing!
Unintentionally Frenchified ok this is why you talk about germs
It’s funny because even in my super fancy aunt that got a huge collection of dinner plates, she never use a bread plate 🤷🏻♀️
Unintentionally Frenchified the table gets a quick wipe down between meals, even at home, we have a laminated tablecloth. Silverware isn’t absorbent, bread is.
Hello, nice video. I like it.
Try to answer some question.
About the bread on the table: the plate on the table is used for very formal meals where you take out the silverware. In restaurants, it can be a little classy way of presenting the table. In the vast majority of families, the bread is cut in a small basket and each one uses and leaves his bread next to his plate. As a general rule, the question of germs is settled very quickly: Children (and adults) are asked to wash their hands. But in reality, we live with germs and this is part of basic immunotherapy.
On the kiss : In fact, the French too can be very uncomfortable with this thing. Two, four, three, one? How many times we find ourselves the beak ready to kiss when the cheek of the other is already moved back. And vice versa. It does make a bit of a bother, but actually not that much. We get out of there by pirouette saying: "ah bah with us it's two (or three or whatever you want). However, it is fashionable to remember what is suitable for this person.
To know who to kiss, there is an infallible method: do you feel comfortable kissing this person?
In family, between man and woman, adults and children or between men or between women, this is very normal. One day, I had a colleague of Italian origin (I am a bit too) who started kissing me. But I found it natural, unequivocal also I continued. And it is true between men, between friends, without any sexual connotation.
For the "happy nex year" : nothing better to say. I think it's like a game now.
La "Sainte Catherine : Saint Catherine and the catherinettes. It is an old tradition that is still celebrated in the fashion world where unmarried girls over 25 celebrate their celibacy by wearing hats and clothes in green and yellow tones.
In truth, this tradition is very outdated because; on the one hand young women marry later than usual and on the other hand it seems today terribly intrusive and judgmental. It is a tradition which evolves to, perhaps, disappear.
The 1st of April ; literraly " fish of April"
The best thing is to track down the most beautiful stories told in a very serious tone by the most important newspapers and media.
It remains very popular and is approaching the days of the madmen of the Middle Ages.
Hope you find here some answers
Have a nice day
A bread plate is really only necessary when it's not just bread, but bread and butter. Though also when it can be a different type of bread than baguette or restaurant, such as sliced pain de campagne. A plate can also be elegant for bread rolls rather than the usual chunks of baguette/restaurant served in a bread basket/dish.
I understand how weird all these habits can seem! I am French and I've never heard about anybody celebrating Saint Catherine's day in my region. I agree it is especially weird to receive something on this occasion at work.
Now I am living in the US and I was shocked to learn how April 1st is celebrated by sort of bullying others. I thought the fish idea was a bit more nicer :) And I do miss nibbling on baguette on my way back from the boulangerie (of course the bread is much better right after buying it haha)...!
A bread plate is just useless because the bread is not wet and because it is manipulated anyway by the baker, the baker's seller and then the cook... and placed in different places.
Hi Kate, love this video! As a Franco-American who grew up in France, I definitely agree with your points on la bise, bread, and April Fool's. I've never heard of Sainte Catherine, so I'm curious, what exactly did they do in your office for it? Did they actually publicly single out single women in the office? Also, I hope you'll do a Q&A soon :)
The feast of Saint Catherine is a religious feast that tends to disappear. Currently, women marry later or already have children before they get married. In the old time, before the 1960s, you never went out without wearing a hat, whether men or women.
I'm French and I don't know what Saint Catherine is xD
The weirdest is to double-kiss your piece of baguette at new year’s eve when you’re 25.
Or maybe that’s a Poisson d’Avril....?
I think it's fake ! I have never heard of it. It's so ridiculous if some of us do it 😂
Actually most of it is absolutely true. Her videos are always quite accurate
@@ludovicm.1848 yes, I was talking about double-kissing the piece of baguette 😉
I have never heard of this! What an interesting tradition!!
I'm a nativ french
I never heard about that so I'm pretty sure it's fake😂
I love the way you use bise as an english verb :) And yes, soooo confusing
Why no bread plate ? Simple answer : Because it's useless !
The proof ? How many people do you know who have been intoxicated by bread put directly on the table ?... ;-)
hahha I don't know anyone. You're right. useless!
Tables are dirty sometimes at restaurants. The plate is clean.
You are right ^_^ There is a plate or a small basket at the restaurant because so many clients at the table (turn after turn) that we suppose the table is not clean !
We used to have dedicated safes for the bread named "huches à pain", but it's uncommon nowadays. But you can see the bread leaved directly on his cutting board named "planche à pain"
@@ruthlloyd1163 Most of the time you have a clean tablecloth... or there should be.
1:50 if you take a piece of bread without touching the other ones, you dont have any risk with germs. But If you touch several ones before choosing yours, it will be considered very rude and dirty
Pour la bise, t'embêtes pas: vas-y pour 2, et si l'autre insiste pour 3, tu peux en ajouter une. Mais concrètement, 2 est devenu la norme en France, l'usage le plus courant pour lequel personne n'a à se sentir gêné(e).
We put bread on the table without plate because bread used to be the plate for centuries and our tables are clean btw.
That’s a difference between a 5 centuries old country and 1500 years old one.
500 ans... pas les Etats Unis, quand même :-)
@@Crisetig c'est vrai les USA c'est 246 ans d'existence en effet.
Good on you for avoiding being too judgemental about Saint Catherine's day like some others did in the comments. In my home, we just gave gifts to unmarried women. It was extremely popular and I was kind of jealous about the girls getting an extra holiday :-D
Re St Catherine, it was a custom in many English areas to pray to her for a husband (even after the Reformation ;) but we never did the hats. The prayers you read out actually come from a chapel of hers in Abbotsbury, Dorset (about 60 miles from where I grew up, so I heard about it) where girls used to go and they were written down by a folklorist in the 19th century.
Actually I'm from france and I never heard about St Catherine's day
Saint Catherine is an old custom, from XIXth centary and before (sometime yet used in some countryside). But some commercials advertisers tried to use it again to make money. it's more often used as a second level, ironic, humour, now.
Le premier avril était le début de l'année jusqu'au XIVieme siècle.
pour le poisson, j'ai trouvé ces explications (copié-collé) :
"La première raconte qu'au début du mois d'avril, alors que la
pêche était interdite en France pendant la période de
reproduction des poissons, les pêcheurs se voyaient "offrir" un
hareng. Le poisson mort accroché dans le dos fut remplacé, au fil
du temps, par un poisson en papier.
Une seconde histoire, plus récente, veut que le poisson en avril
était symbole du Carême, période chrétienne où il n'est permis de
manger que du poisson (aucune autre viande).
Enfin une dernière histoire assure que le poisson vient du signe du zodiaque
"poisson" qui se trouve être le dernier signe de l'hiver.
Ainsi au début du XXème siècle, on s'envoyait des cartes de 1er
Avril illustrées par des petits poissons, pour se souhaiter
amour, amitié et bonheur ! "
3:35 The map is not quite accurate, I'm living in the Aube departement in dark blue and we kiss only twice, not 4 times
Oh un aubois !!! Au sein de ma famille et de mes amis, parfois c'est 2 bises, parfois 4 🤷🏼♀️
You go in for a kiss and nobody's there...I love this expression!
I'm French, never ever heard of Sainte Catherine! Like Never!
C'est plus quelque chose qu'on voit dans le Nord de la France. Avant d'y déménager j'en avais ja-mais entendu parler. Et ensuite j'ai appris ce qu'était la Ste Catherine, que c'était important, qu'on envoyait des cartes, certaines reçoivent des cadeaux etc. :)
si tu es attentive, c'est souvent les caissières de supermarché qui me font réaliser que c'est la période des catherinettes... (j'habite vers Nice et quoique cette tradition semble venir du nord, il y a toujours une ou deux caissières affublées de chapeaux verts extravagants...)
Very funny and interesting video ! Comme d’habitude :)
Merci beaucoup!
That prayer though! At 25???? In-sane. Lol
Well I’m French... and I never heard about Saint Catherine! Like really 😅
As to St. Catherine's: There are similar customs in parts of Germany (where I currently reside). Unmarried women above a certain age (depends on the region) will sweep the stairs of th ecity hall or the local church - hoping to attract a husband. In most cases this is nowadays more of an opportunity to have a laugh and hang out with friends; a bit like a bachelor's or bachelorette's night out.
Which in turn is an - to me weird - American custom getting more and more traction over here. I mean why spend a night explicitely WITHOUT your future significant other before getting married? Would it not make more sense to have a huge party with the both of you and BOTH your respective circles of friends so they can get to know each other in a less formalized, relaxed atmosphere before having major akwardnesses at the wedding reception?
That is basically the German custom of "Polterabend" which is getting more and more supplanted by Bachelor(ette) outings.But I digress.
Bread plates: I think this has - like many a food related culture shock - something to do with the very different climates and environments between (Western) Europe and the US. There is a winter here, so creepy crawly things get killed by frost annually (as of yet). So we do not need to e.g. make sure all our cereals and other sweet stuff is airtight so insects cant get in. Not so in the Southern US, where you have to take real care with that.Same for food poisoning germs. Germs will proliferate a LOT faster at outside temperatures in the 30°C (excuse my metric) range than in the 10°C range. Naturally different customs around food safety will arise taking that into account.
As an aside: raw pork is nigh unthinkable for eating in the US but actually commonly eaten with great delight in parts of Germany. Reason: the pork will not go bad as quickly in colder weather - and there is a law in Germany requiring veterinaries to inspect all pork for trichinae (the parasites causing trichinosis). Thus it is safe to eat in one place but not so much in the other.
Also bear in mind that the distinction between "safe/yummy" to eat and "unsafe/yucky" is taught to us in early childhood. We therefore have very deep-seated opinions on those kinds of topics and are easily bewildered by people eating or drinking meals that to us are "clearly" yucky/unsafe.
Haha the carte for bise is so accurate.
I am from the part close east of Nantes where all the colors are mixed. Nobody knows how many we have to do so it's randomly 3 or 4 usually. But sometimes one (like in highschool). And sometimes two. Sometimes the number change whether you are arriving somewhere are leaving. XD
Love this video. I am also an American living in France (Bordeaux), and the bise is always tricky especially when we visit family in other regions 😂
Hi! It's definitely rough. Hard enough getting used to la bise in one place (which side to go on, how many to give, when to do it), but then it totally changes when you move and throws you for a curveball!
I am French and discovered about saint catherine day as I was 15 in the orchestra I’m playing in. I found it pretty sexist.
La Sainte Catherine est une fête pour les filles de 25 ans qui ne sont pas mariées !! Cette fête est célébrée plutôt dans les petits villes et villages comme celle de Bessans en Savoie où elles sont même costumées pour l'occasion. Quand on ne connaît pas , on s'abstient de laisser des commentaires et toc !! prends ça !!
THE BREAD PLATEEEE!!!! YES!!!! I once was hanging out with a guy, and when we had breakfast, I was so adamant on getting a plate or napkin for my croissant. HE ATE IT RIGHT ON THE TABLE! Hahahaha! God, I was sooo, not really mind boggled, but confused at first until I remembered that they don't really use plates for their breads. Ugh, that drives me wild! CRUMBS EVERYWHERE! GERMS ARE EVERYWHERE, PEOPLE!
edit to add: I have heard of Saint Catherine's day because my Parisian friend just celebrated it last year!! She said that she celebrates it even though she's engaged because she isn't married yet.
As France is more on the non-religious side I have never of this tradition in my entire life, so it is really the first time that hear of St-Catherine’s day.
I never heard of the saint Catherine tradition 😂
I don't think its something that happens really often anymore, but I learned about it at work and I was like ummm, wait explain that one again! 😂
Viens en Moselle, c' est assez vivant ici
I am french and have no idea what is the St Catherine 🤔
*Today's the 25th of November, I'm french and I've never heard of St Catherine's day* 😅
I am French, 30, and never ever heard about this Saint Catherine stuff
Aaaah, the baguette crunchy end ! It’s also because when the bread is still warm from the oven, it’s toooooo tempting !
The poisson d’avril IS fake news ! 😄
We put the bread on the side because (I think) during the Renaissance, poor people used to eat on the bread to replace the plates they couldn’t offer, putting it on the side was considered as something for rich people/nobility, so doing so was something to respect.
I see so many ppl saying “the table is clean! “ In reference to putting bread on it. In America, we will clean the table too of course, but we’re still taught not to set our food directly on it. Doesn’t mean anyone else is less clean. Just a cultural thing. But! In France, we’ll do it your way.
About the no-bread plate, it really depends on the families, some have a basket with pre-cut bread, some, like mine, have a "ramasse-miettes", a crumb collector on which you cut your bread and most of the crumbs fall through the grid. But actually, your table is supposed to be as clean as your dishes, so I would not be afraid of germs, there are as many on each surface. Your table is cleaned 3 times or more per day, meanwhile your plate can sit weeks in the cupboard without being used...
Good point! Also, i've never seen a ramasse-miettes before. I'm going to check that one out!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified It looks like this www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjpg66smavnAhVk16YKHbtOAfUQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.laboutiquedeschefs.com%2Fcoutellerie%2Fcouteaux-de-cuisine%2Fcouteaux-a-pain%2Fplanche-a-pain-ramasse-miettes-en-hetre&psig=AOvVaw1pSz4C57M97V7jqSqoHZg_&ust=1580469369261797 I actually prefer having my bread on such kind of cutting boards on my dinner table, but many people use a clean towel or nothing at all. Some don't cut bread, just tear it off, but it's not cool if you want "tartines".
In some of the fancier restaurants, not only in France, the waiters use a crumb scraper between courses so there is no mess if there is no bread plate. (They still scrape your eating area between courses even with a bread plate). I found that quite intrusive myself though.
Some restaurants have plates for baguette because they -- and customers -- can afford them. In regular households such plates are irrelevant.
The number of « bises » is also confusing for the french, don’t worry. For the sainte Catherine, i know the custom but it’s very rare this days, i’m sure the new generation does not ever heard about that
It's not widespread, but I learned about it at a company celebration... i was like wait what?! lol
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified some commercial company tried to commercialy reused the old custom, for advertising and increase the sales (fashion,....). Any occasion to sell something.
About bread eating. I plead guilty (Frenchman here) and for a reason. When you leave the boulangerie with the hot bread and its perfume, I believe no one can resist. Bread plate in fine restaurant is of course mandatory. I leave my bread on my napkin when there is no special plate.
About la Bise: often, adults shake hands and I was until I worked in the UK to learn that a smile and hello, hya would be enough. La bise is for teen-agers and women, for boys it is kinda rare ("Ca ne se fait pas entre mecs") unless in the family and very close family friends..
Poisson d'avril: in the 18th Century, "donner un poisson to someone" meant to make believe a fake or joke news (April's fool's day almost anywhere) and so, sometimes, instead of a fake news, people attach to someone's back a paper fish. Innofensive and fun.
I am french but currently living in thailand and lived in the UK, US, Dubai also.
In thailand every day at 8am and 6pm the national anthem will played everywhere and everyone will stop to respect it. First time this happened to me I was in the metro and really did not understand what was happening.
Also when I first arrived in Dubai i remember many men holding hands to each other which was strange to me. There are many Pakistan men living in the UAE and when very good friends they will hold hands almost like a couple but this is totally normal to them
J'ai 38 ans et je suis toujours une Catherinette :). Autrefois, du temps de ma grand-mère, c'était quelque chose d'un peu honteux (surtout à la campagne) d'avoir 25 ans et de ne pas être mariée, c'était synonyme d'être ou de devenir une "vieille fille".
Heureusement, ce n'est pas honteux aujourd'hui!!
Enfin une fille qui connait la fête :-)
Hey ! Traditionally, wealthy people had more dishes and cutlery. It's was a marker of social status to have different type of knives and forks for each type of meal for example. The bread plate fallows the same logic and allowed rich people's table to be neater. Nowadays you can only find all of the above in fancy restaurants or special family occasions ... (come on, who needs bread plates xD)
For St Catherine, it's mostly forgotten. Some girls that happened to be single on St Catherine's the year they are 25 take that occasion to throw a party or bring drinks at work. To be honest, it's hardly offensive nowadays. Lots of 25 years old women are single and at that age, there is no (yet) social pressure to be in couple.
At home in the south I always kiss 3 times, but when I'm in Paris I usually kiss 2 times.
Salut. The bread crums are shaken out from the table cloth outside to feed the birdies.
I have served as a waiter twice during celebrations of Saint Catherine's Day. We organize such meals to mix people male and female who have reached their thirties and are still celibate. They often wear yellow and green outfits. The male waiters sometimes dress as waitresses and vice versa, just for fun. I have twisted my ankles a few times and hate high heals and removing make up.
That’s so interesting, thanks for sharing
Ah mais je vous rassure on ne sait pas toujours combien de bises on doit se faire nous memes !
I m French and never make la bise to strangers at first. Only if they ask.
Really no one does the sainte Catherine thing
I have worked in French companies where it celebrated, but true its not a celebrated everywhere...
I feel its a custom in christian and or upper class families.
@@thepolitix1008 Wasn't it a joke from the colleagues ??
Because you don't know anyone who celebrate it, no one does it ? We do it in my family but it's actually just the teenage girls receiving a present on November 25 instead of December 6, nothing like what is explained in the video and never heard of it being celebrated in a company, must be so weird ^^'
Sainte Catherine is a very old tradition. We don't celebrate it anymore
Le pain chaud qui sort de la boulangerie est un moment à ne pas rater, mieux vaut en manger un bout sur le moment que d'attendre qu'il refroidisse.
There is no need for a bread plate as you should always eat on a clean table
Being French, I've never heard about Saint Catherine's Day other than a saying for gardeners (like the things you can plant or cut in your garden). I guess it's an old fashionned tradition only a very few people still do just as a pretext to have fun with each other...
My dad was from France and my mom from Québec, Canada so I may be confusing the customs, but as a kid I remember there were four bises when you met someone for the first time, three for family not seen for a long time and two when it was someone closer to you like a friend, co-worker, frequently seen relatives... there was also the question of which side to start on as well as whether it was an actual kiss on the cheek, a kissy noise made while touching cheeks or a downright air kiss where you don’t touch at all, just make the kiss noise in the general direction of their cheek.
The bise, usually i just kinda lean towards the person and they usually will go left or right, i have family in the south so i learned the 3 bise quickly lol. There is also the rule of when you leave you kiss everyone good bye or if you have seen the person earlier and you've already "bised' them and say you see them later you dont need to bise them again, at least this is what I have learned from my Parisian husband.
Fun video