France, with its wealthy historical past, gorgeous structure, and simple je ne sais quoi, is a dream vacation spot for a lot of of you on the market. However earlier than you pack your beret and apply your “bonjour,” there may be a number of belongings you encounter that’ll depart you scratching your head.
It’s no secret that I like speaking about French and American cultural variations right here on Oui In France, and judging out of your feedback, you benefit from the matter as properly. So right now, let’s get right into a bunch of French cultural variations which may not solely result in a way of marvel however usually bewilderment as properly.
OK, seize a pleasant ache au chocolat and a heat beverage and let’s get into 5 very regular French issues that People would possibly discover bizarre or unusual.
1. La Bise: The French cheek kiss greeting
In case you’ve spent any time across the French, then that initiating a greeting in France usually includes la bise, a kiss on the cheek, which could be a shocking customized to People.
We’re used to hugging to say hi there, however in France, positively do NOT hug. You go in with a kiss on both aspect of the cheek as a substitute…. or extra like a cheek contact and never an precise kiss together with your lips making contact.
La bise isn’t just a one-time ritual; it occurs ceaselessly. French folks use it to say hi there and goodbye in most social conditions, however there are unstated guidelines you need to be taught. It’s widespread amongst family and friends, and typically with acquaintances in social settings, however not in formal enterprise environments.
It’s additionally primarily a gesture shared between two girls or between a person and a girl. Two males often choose a agency handshake over la bise, besides typically amongst shut buddies or household.
Additionally, in some areas of France, you would possibly do greater than two kisses, which might result in some light-hearted fake pas as people from completely different elements of France could have completely different expectations.
I’m personally not an enormous fan of los angeles bise and discover them tedious. I put on glasses and typically they clank with another person’s. Some persons are fairly aggressive with their bise fashion (like my father-in-law) and I instinctively recoil as a result of I don’t need my cheek smacked.
A man on the health club would all the time say hello with a bise when he’d see me. At the least certainly one of us was already sweaty, so getting a pleasant imprint of a sweaty cheek type of grossed me out. However hey, there are worse issues.
Personally, I might a lot somewhat do a hug to say hello… however when in Rome and all. You be taught and adapt. 😉
2. The bread drawer (or bag)
People love bread, however the French take it to a complete new stage with bakeries seemingly on each nook. From a pleasant tartine for breakfast, or a sandwich for lunch, and even a recent baguette with cheese, bread is in every single place in France. There’s even baguette etiquette it is best to know.
Within the land of baguettes, bread isn’t only a meals – it’s a sacred object. Nonetheless, the best way the French retailer this valuable commodity caught me off guard.
Overlook plastic luggage — the French have a devoted bread drawer or particular bag. Yep, I’ve one in my kitchen and needed to ask Tom what it was for once we first moved in. The primary time I got here throughout certainly one of them at a pal’s, I made a MAJOR fake pas and it was really fairly hilarious.
Why the drawer, you ask? Nicely, apparently, bread must breathe! Plastic luggage entice moisture, resulting in a soggy, unhappy baguette. So, the French answer? A cool, dry drawer or fabric bag that retains their baguettes recent and crispy for a bit of longer.
P.S. This isn’t a bread bag to your kitchen, however is my favourite high-quality Paris tote… for bread or something!
3. Home shutters (les volets)
Driving by means of a French city at evening, you’ll discover that every one homes and residences have window shutters that cowl their home windows. Some are guide picket ones, as proven above, and others are steel curler shutters. However regardless of the fashion, these cultural must-haves are for privateness, safety, and temperature management.
You retain them closed within the warmth of summer season (additionally means you’ll be sitting in the dead of night) to maintain the cool air inside — bear in mind a/c isn’t the norm — and likewise at evening. I personally like waking as much as pure gentle and never sleeping within the pitch black darkish, so Tom and I compromise on our bed room shutters.
Within the U.S., although, shutters are sometimes solely ornamental, including to a house’s curb enchantment. They aren’t often for operate… besides in hurricane-prone areas like Florida. People rely extra on blinds and curtains for privateness and don’t open and shut shutters each day.
I’ve talked extra about les volets right here.
4. Tanning capsules
French of us replenish on tanning capsules like Oenobiol earlier than they jet off on summer season trip. Not fashionable in any respect within the U.S., some of these capsules fly off the cabinets in French pharmacies in the course of the summer season months.
These vitamin-based capsules assist prep your pores and skin for lengthy days on the seaside and are supposed to be taken earlier than, throughout, and after your summer season vacay.
Whereas they don’t really change your pores and skin’s coloration (they’re not self tanners, though formulations from a number of years in the past did comprise beta-carotene), they do apparently assist increase the looks of your tan naturally. As an American, the idea of taking a tanning tablet could appear odd, however they’re tremendous fashionable with the French.
There are different formulations although that DO change your pores and skin’s coloration, however the FDA says steer clear.
I’ve personally by no means tried them, as I hate the solar and keep out of it each time potential. You’ll by no means catch me sunbathing!
5. Vehicles that don’t require a license to drive (voiture sans permis)
Once I first moved to France, I used to be stunned to see these small automobiles on the highway that didn’t require a license. They’re known as une voiture sans permis (VSP) and in case you’re over 14, you should purchase one and drive it on the highway with the remainder of us — no formal license required (until you’re born in 1988 or after, then you need to do a few hours of coaching).
That stated, they don’t go very quick (45km per hour, 28mph) however nonetheless. They’ve a status for being for individuals who both can’t handle to move their driving take a look at, for youngsters beneath 18 who aren’t sufficiently old to have a traditional license, and for individuals who have misplaced their license because of alcohol-related offenses.
6. Speech noises
There are every kind of sounds within the French language that don’t exist in English, however I’m not speaking in regards to the French “r” or “u” sound. I’m speaking in regards to the typically jarring speech noises that you simply’ll hear out of French folks’s mouths. They act as fillers and even exclamations and I’ve a humorous submit on these “unusual” French noises with audio clips I feel you’ll love.
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Lastly, I need to level out that cultural variations aren’t inherently good or dangerous. They’re impartial and are simply variations. After we take a look at these cultural norms by means of the lens of our personal tradition and life experiences, we understand them to “unusual” however they’re simply variations and never higher or worse than anyplace else. I feel it’s essential to not place judgment on them.
I personally love studying how issues are executed elsewhere and why, so I hope you loved this submit!
P.S. Listed here are some regular French issues that wouldn’t ever fly within the US and seven regular French habits that might be impolite within the U.S.
