Celebrating the holidays, French style

I will be the first to admit that the arrival of the holiday season gave me a few pangs of homesickness. After all, the holidays are a time to relax with family and friends and a time for traditions and comforts - in short, many things I don't (yet) have in France! There was nothing for it but to make my own traditions with my friends and 'family' here.

I celebrated Thanksgiving twice: once the Sunday before actual Thanksgiving with my friend Miri and some of our British teaching assistant friends. We did our best to make the traditional American meal with the limited supply of ingredients available at a French convenience store (the only place in France that is open on a Sunday!). Given the challenge of working in a tiny kitchen with turkey breasts, some potatoes, a can of green beans, and a lot of garlic and mushrooms, I think we did pretty good! Our English friends were impressed (although the British aren't reputed to have the highest culinary standards, so I don't know if this is saying much...)

On Thanksgiving Day, I had a true Franco-American feast with several French people who live in my apartment building, two of whom had spent three years living in New York City and were quite enthusiastic about the idea of celebrating Thanksgiving. Fortunately, they were in charge of the turkey, stuffing, and gravy, which they cooked French style. Turns out that I prefer the French way of cooking the bird! It was simply delicious. I was responsible for the green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and pumpkin pie. I made a few modifications to Frenchify things (crumbled baguette instead of French fried onions on top of the green beans, candied pecans instead of marshmallows for the sweet potatoes). Everyone loved it! So I think I've done my American duty by successfully proving to French people that some American food is actually tasty.

I must confess that I'm ambivalent about France's low-key, less-commercial approach to Christmas. For one thing, the Christmas 'season' doesn't begin until early December (unlike the U.S., where I know of at least one radio station that begins playing holiday music at midnight on Halloween). I personally enjoy all of the festivities leading up to Christmas - perhaps more so than the day itself. Missing such childish anti- cipation, I located the one place in France where it is Christmas practically year-round: Strasbourg. Once again, Miri and I took off for a weekend, staying with a really great French girl who was more than willing to share her apartment, meals, and friends with us. In the photo you can see Miri, Anaïs and me on a bridge in Grande Île, the historic center of Strasbourg which has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO (can you tell that it's REALLY cold?).

Strasbourg is famous for its Christmas markets which sell a tantalizing variety of holiday goodies: spiced hot wine, gingerbread of every variety, smoked meats, local cheeses (especially munster), and sauerkraut sauerkraut sauerkraut! Plus loads of Christmas ornaments, decorations, and gadgetry. Strasbourg being situated on the border of France and Germany (and belonging to the Germans for a spell in the 19th century), the architecture is a mix of quaint German timber-frames and the classic French style. The town, particularly bathed in the warm glow of Christmas lights (see photo at the right!), enchanted me. It was just the dose of holiday spirits that I needed!

I was sad to leave this picturesque little Christmas town. However, my next stop is the good ol' USA! I come home to Charlotte one week from today, where I'll spend some quality time with my parents. We'll be making the annual pilgrimage to my grandmother's farm in Tennessee where we'll spend Christmas, and then my best friend Carla is flying in from Boston to spend New Year's with me. January 4th I fly back to Paris. Until then... bonnes fêtes to you all, safe travels, and have a very happy new years!