Christmas Eve has come, and the beautiful city of Paris is alight. Along the Champs-Elysées, toward the Arc de Triomphe, tree branches are strung with white lights. Fir trees at the base of the Eiffel Tower are adorned with lights and garlands, too.

There is an air of excitement everywhere as shoppers make last-minute purchases of gifts and food before going home. This is a very special night for the children of Paris. Soon, Pére Noël will come, bringing gifts to place in the children’s shoes.

Pére Noël does not look like the American Santa Claus; he is not a plump elf who comes riding in a sleigh drawn by reindeer. Instead, he is tall and slender, an imposing old man with a white beard, wearing a long red robe edged with fur.

On Christmas Eve, French children place their shoes, slippers, or boots near the fireplace, if there is one. If not, the shoes are set near the Christmas tree.

French children often accompany their parents to midnight Mass. People of many faiths attend the Catholic Masses held in France’s beautiful cathedrals and churches, some of which are several hundred years old.

At the conclusion of the Mass the bells ring out, and Christmas is joyously welcomed in. Heading home, the people can see the Eiffel Tower shining forth, a Christmas tree of white lights almost a thousand feet tall. The moment of the réveillon has come.

Réveillon means “awakening.” The Christmas Eve meal is enjoyed with all the gusto of New Year’s in America. Restaurants in Paris remain open on Christmas Eve, for some people prefer to dine out this night.

Christmas morning families with small children open their presents. The grown-ups celebration is yet to come. They will exchange their gifts on New Year’s Day.

Many French families spend at least some of the Christmas holidays skiing, so ski resorts do a brisk business at this time of the year. The French Alps are especially popular for winter vacationing.

People vacationing in the French Alps during the winter holidays may be treated to a ride in a genuine antique sleigh. The alpine scene is as Christmas-like as anyone could ask. The small mountain villages look just like Christmas cards.

Many regions in France share the same traditions; others have developed distinctly different ones. And some regions share their customs with Germany, Spain, and Italy – three countries that border France. The Christmas climate varies, too, from the crisp, cold air and snow-clad slopes of the mountain regions to the semitropical warmth of the Mediterranean coast.

If you’ve never experienced Christmas in Paris, you really should.

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