France

Strasbourg, France
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French Christmas Tree

Christmas in France

• In France, a Nativity crib is often used to help decorate the house. French cribs have clay figures in them. During December some towns and cities, such as Marseilles, have fairs that sell Nativity figures. As well as having the normal Nativity figures in them, French scenes also have figures such as a Butcher, a Baker, a Policeman and a Priest.
• In French Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Joyeux Noel'. In Breton (spoken by some people in Brittany, Northern France) it's 'Nedeleg Laouen', in Corsican it's 'Bon Natale' and in Alsatian (spoken by some people in Alsace, in Eastern France) it's 'E gueti Wïnachte'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.
• One of the biggest Christmas markets in Europe is held in Strasbourg, in North Eastern France. In the Alsatian language it's called the "Christkindelsmarik".
• Yule Logs made out of Cherry Wood are often burned in French homes. An old tradition is that the log was carried into the home on Christmas Eve and sprinkled with red wine to make the log smell nice when it was burning. There is a custom that the log and candles are left burning all night with some food and drinks left out in case Mary and the baby Jesus come past during the night.
• In France, Father Christmas / Santa Claus / St. Nicholas is called Pere Noel (Father Christmas). In eastern France he is accompanied by Le Pere Fouettard, a man dressed in black. He might be the same person as Zwarte Piet/Sooty Piet/Roetpiet in The Netherlands.
• The main Christmas meal, called 'Reveillon', is eaten on Christmas Eve/early Christmas morning after people have returned from the midnight Church Service. Dishes might include roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison and cheeses. For dessert, a chocolate sponge cake log called a buche de Noel is normally eaten.
• Another celebration, in some parts of France, is that 13 different desserts are eaten! All the desserts are made from different types of Fruit, Nuts and Pastries.

WHYCHRISTMAS.COMChristmas in France
Epiphany, called La Fetes des Rois in French, is also celebrated in France on January 6th. A flat cake/tart made with and puff pastry and almond cream is eaten called 'Galette des Rois'. The cake traditionally has a 'feve' baked inside it (or put in the cream on the top). The feve was originally a bean (often made from porcelain, ceramic or metal). Now it can be a little crown, a figure or other shapes/small ornaments. The Galette des Rois is decorated on top with a gold paper crown. If you find the feve you wear the paper crown and are meant to bring the Galette des Rois the following year!

https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/france

The Essential Guide to Christmas in Paris

Culture TripParis is an incredible city to live in or visit at any time of the year, but despite the short days and long nights, the City of Light is never brighter than at Christmas. The boulevards are decked out in their festive best, and the smell of roasting chestnuts hangs in the air. Here are ten ideas for making the most out of the holiday in the French capital.

Christmas Decorations
If you spend one Christmas in Paris, you’ll want to remember it for the rest of your life. One of the best ways to do that is by picking up some handmade French ornaments. All the department stores – BHV, Printemps, and Galeries Lafayette – have dedicated Christmas departments where you’ll find a broad selection of colors and styles. There are also a number of festive boutiques that are open all year and specialize in lights and decorations. The two most famous are Christmas à Paris and Il etait une fois. The Disney Store is also surprisingly popular with French people, but what they offer might be more like what you would expect back home.

Christmas Markets
The largest and most renowned of Paris’ Christmas markets opens in mid-November and continues through the New Year until early January. For most visitors, a festive trip to the city would be incomplete without visiting the 200 wooden chalets, 400 illuminated trees, and 2.5 kilometers of food and fun along the Champs-Elysees. However, the crowds here can become overwhelming at the height of the holiday period, and you might prefer to head to one of the neighborhood markets around Place Saint-Sulpice, Place Raoul-Doutry near Montparnasse, and Square Boucicaut near Le Bon Marche. These smaller markets are usually open in December alone.

Illuminations
More than 125 squares and streets are illuminated by the city council during the holidays, and hundreds more are filled with decorated storefronts and apartment windows and balconies strung with lights and garlands. Of course, the main thoroughfares like the Champs-Elysees and Boulevard Saint-Germain are among the most spectacular, but many smaller streets, especially around Montmartre, are given a good festive treatment. Simply by wandering around, you’ll get to see many of the lights, but if you are serious about your illuminations, you can also take a guided tour of them either by bus or on foot.

Christmas Trees
One thing Paris is not short of at Christmas is trees. Outside of practically every shop in the city, there will be at least one miniature fir tree with tinsel twisted around it. The town halls in each of the 20 arrondissements also put up one or more impressive trees. But the two most famous worth checking out are the 20-meter-plus tree outside the Notre Dame on the Île de la Cite and the one suspended from the roof inside Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann, the design of which is usually a hotly debated topic over the holidays.

Ice Rinks
For 2016, the rink in front of the Hotel de Ville won’t be returning; however, there are several more beautiful indoor and outdoor venues where you can go ice skating. Part of the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, 57 meters above Paris, will be converted into an ice rink from the beginning of December until March. There will also be ice rinks on the Champs-Elysees, Trocadero, and Jardin d’Acclimitation. From the middle of December until January, the Grand Palais will also host the largest indoor ice rink in the world: 2,700 square meters of skating space under its massive glass roof.

Department Store Windows
Fortunately, two of Paris’ largest department stores – Printemps and Galeries Lafayette – are located right next to one another on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement. Walking along this street, as wide as the pavement is, can be difficult during the months of November and December due to the crowds of people marveling at the window displays. The other two department stores to check out are BHV in the Marais and Le Bon Marche on the left bank.

Carol Concerts
Churches, theaters, and music halls across the city will be hosting carol services and classical concerts during the run-up to Christmas. Some of the most anticipated shows are held in Paris’ most beautiful churches like La Sainte-Chapelle, famous for its incredible stained-glass windows, the Eglise de la Madeleine, and Notre Dame de Paris. You can find a full list of Christmas concerts and book tickets here.

Oysters
This suggestion may seem like a strange addition to the list, but for French people, seafood is a huge part of the festive menu. You are as likely to see lobster on the menu at Christmas or New Year’s as you are turkey, and most meals around this time will have at least one or two fish courses. One popular tradition is to go out for oysters and a glass of dry white wine with friends. There are plenty of restaurants and bars where you can do this, but the Mary Celeste in the Haut-Marais is one of the trendier options.

Roasted Chestnuts
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire is a surprisingly frequent sight on the streets of Paris during the winter months. In some of the less touristy neighborhoods, you’ll find vendors cooking them up in remarkable contraptions made from converted shopping trolleys, steel bins, and baking trays. No matter how they are prepared, they make a warming snack on a cold day spent wandering the city.

Vin Chaud
The French version of mulled wine is much the same as the British or German versions, though it will more often contain notes of honey and orange. You’ll see it on the menus of many bars throughout December, and it will be on offer at all the Christmas markets. Have a glass, warm up, and enjoy the rare privilege of it being acceptable to drink on the street without drawing any unwanted attention.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/paris/articles/the-essential-guide-to-christmas-in-paris

Holiday Traditions of France

WORLD HOLIDAY TRADITIONSJoyeux Noell
Christmas customs, originating in the Middle East, were introduced to France by the Romans. Reims was the site of the first French Christmas celebration when, in 496, Clovis and his 3,000 warriors were baptized. Bishop Remi had purposely chosen the day of the Nativity for this ceremony. Other important events eventually took place on Christmas day in the following years.

Charlemagne received the crown from the hands of Pope Leo III on Christmas Day in 800. In 1100, Godefroy de Bouillon's successor, his brother Baudouin, was crowned in the basilica of Saint Mary of Bethlehem. Later, King Jean-le-Bon founded the Order of the Star in honor of the manger; it remained in existence until 1352. In 1389, French crowds shouted Noel! Noel! in welcoming Queen Isabeau of Bavaria to the capital.

Thus Christmas gradually became both a religious and secular celebration which, in fact, until the end of the Middle Ages, was confused with the celebration of the new year. Today, Christmas in France is a family holiday, a religious celebration and an occasion for merrymaking. It is a time welcomed by both adults and children.

FRENCH CHRISTMASThe fir tree was first presented as the holy tree of Christmas in the French city of Strasbourg in 1605. It was decorated with artificial colored roses, apples, sugar and painted hosts, and symbolized the tree in the garden of Eden.

In France, shop windows of big department stores, principally in Paris, compete with one another in fabulous displays of animated figures; a day spent visiting and comparing the exhibits is practically a must for parents.

Family celebrations begin with the decoration of the Christmas tree a few days before Christmas; candles and lights, tinsel and many colored stars are attached to it. On Christmas Eve when the children are asleep, little toys, candies and fruits are hung on the branches of the tree as a supplement to the gifts Santa Claus has left in the shoes before the fireplace.

Another custom is that of the manger, "la creche," which originated in 12th century France in the form of liturgical drama. At first the manger itself resembled an alter and was placed either inside the church or before the portal, as it was at the Abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire. Antique mangers can be seen in churches at Chartres, Chaource, Nogent-le-Rotrou, Sainte-Marie d'Oloron and in museums at Marseilles and Orleans.

The popular manger was introduced in Avignon by the family of Saint Francis of Assisi between 1316 and 1334, but it was not until the 16th century that the making of creches or grebbes, as they were called in old French, became a widespread custom.

Today, the family arranges a manger on a small stage in a prominent part of the house. In Provence, the children bring rocks, branches and moss to make a setting for the manger. Little terra-cotta figures, known as "santons" or little saints are grouped around the manger to represent the Holy Family, the other characters of the story of the Nativity, and the people of the village: the mayor, the priest, the policeman, the butcher, the baker, the miller, the farmer. In the stable is a reproduction of the legendary manger of Bethlehem, with the ox and the donkey placed close to Jesus, and Mary and Joseph in the foreground welcoming the visitors.

Since 1803, a special fair for the sale of the santons has been held in Marseilles during the month of December, but the true capital of the world of santons is the little town of Aubagne.

Puppet shows are also given every year for Christmas, especially in Paris and in Lyon. One of the most famous Christmas puppet plays, written by de Marynbourg, is called "Bethlehem 1933" and is a masterpiece of popular art.

At midnight everyone attends the Christmas mass. Churches and cathedrals, large and small, are magnificently lit and echo the joyful melodies of carols, bells and carillons. Many churches have a creche or manger. Formerly, in certain regions, a real infant was placed on the hay of the manger during the mass but this custom is no longer observed.

When the family returns home after midnight mass, there is a late supper known as "le reveillon." The meal varies according to the region of France. In Alsace, for example, the traditional goose is brought in on a platter and given the place of honor on the table. Bretons serve buckwheat cakes with sour cream. Turkey and chestnuts are served in Burgundy. The favorite dishes of Paris and the Ile-de-France region are oysters, foie gras, and the traditional cake in the form of a Yule log or "buche de Noel" which used to burn on the hearth on Christmas Eve. The wines served are generally Muscadet, Anjou, Sauterne and Champagne.

Ordinarily, young children do not attend midnight mass with their parents, but go to bed early to dream of their Christmas gifts. Before going to bed, they put their shoes by the fireside for a gift from "le pere de Noel" or "le petit Jesus." Formerly, peasants' wooden shoes, called sabots, were often used at Christmas time, but today shoes of any kind are set before the fireplace or around the tree. However, the sabots are not forgotten - chocolate wooden shoes are made by pastry shops and filled with candies.

Traditional legends and beliefs associated with Christmas are numerous in France. Alsace is a region where a lot of tradition exists such as marches de Noel, Christmas markets. This region has possibly the greatest community spirit. In some towns, shepherds offer a lamb on Christmas Eve, while in others the reveillonis held in the snow mountains or a song festival precedes the midnight mass. In the small village of Solliesville, the whole population gathers bringing bread, meat and candies as a symbol of the apostles. Then a supper is offered to the important townspeople and their guests. During the mass, the characters of the manger are portrayed by people from the village.

The magic of Christmas is the magic of the Orient. During the Middle Ages, minstrels wandered through villages and towns, telling "Marveiles qui advinrent en la Sainte Nuit," the legend of the flight into Egypt, or the legend of the sower who, when asked which way the Holy Family had gone, deceived King Herod. Legends told around the fire on Christmas Eve are nearly all forgotten; but some of them have been transformed into fairy tales or fantasies. One story is that of the dancers condemned to dance incessantly for a year because their movements had turned the priest's thoughts during the midnight mass. Another such tale is the charming story of the little homeless matchgirl who, sitting in the snow on the sidewalk, struck all her matches in order to imagine what Christmas would be like in a house; but Christmas is a time of miracles and at the striking of the last match the little girl was conveyed to Paradise by shining golden angels.

https://www.worldholidaytraditions.com/Countries/France

Christmas Traditions in France

HOW STUFF WORKSChristmas Traditions in France
Christmas in France is a family holiday. The celebrations begin on December 5, which is St. Nicholas Eve. It is a day for gift-giving between friends and relatives. On that cold night, children leave their shoes by the hearth so Pere Noel, or Father Christmas, will fill them with gifts.

Christmas Eve is the most special time in the French celebration of Christmas. Church bells ring and voices sing French carols, called noels.

The family fasts all day, then everyone but the youngest children goes to midnight mass. The churches and cathedrals are beautifully lit, and most display a lovely antique creche. Afterward, the family returns home to a nighttime feast that is called le reveillon. The menu is different in the various regions of France. In Paris, it might be oysters and pate, while in Brittany, the traditional midnight supper is buckwheat cakes and sour cream.

A few days before Christmas, the family sets up a nativity scene, called a creche, on a little platform in a corner of the living room. Some families also decorate a Christmas tree with colorful stars, lights, and tinsel, but the creche is much more important.

The tradition in Provence, in the south of France, is to include, along with the Holy Family, the Three Kings, the shepherds, and the animals, delightful little figures from village life dressed in old-fashioned costumes. These figures might include a village mayor, a peasant, a gypsy, a drummer boy, and other colorful characters. Another tradition in Provence is for people to dress as shepherds and take part in a procession that circles the local church.

To complete the elaborate creche in their home, children bring moss, stones, and evergreen branches for the finishing touches. When the candles are lit, the creche becomes the centerpiece of the Christmas celebration. The children gather around it to sing carols every night until Epiphany, on January 6.

Christmas plays and puppet shows are popular entertainments at Christmas, especially in Paris and Lyons. The shop windows of large department stores have wonderful displays of animated figures that families like to visit.

If any children did not leave their shoes out to be filled with gifts by Pere Noel on St. Nicholas Eve, they leave them out on Christmas Eve to be filled by Pere Noel or the Baby Jesus. Before going to bed, some families leave food and a candle burning, in case Mary passes by with the Christ Child. In homes that have a Christmas tree, Pere Noel hangs little toys, candies, and fruits on the tree's branches for the sleeping children.

On Christmas Day, the family goes to church again and then enjoys another abundant feast of wonderful dishes, ending with the traditional buche de Noel, a rich buttercream-filled cake shaped and frosted to look like a Yule log.

On New Year's, grown-ups visit their friends to exchange gifts with them and enjoy yet more feasting at the New Year's reveillon. The family gathers together again for a final feast on Epiphany on January 6. They eat a special flat pastry, a galette, that has a tiny old-fashioned shoe, a very little china doll, or a bean baked in it. Whoever finds the prize in their serving gets to be King or Queen for the day. As church bells ring, the celebration of the Christmas season comes to an end.

https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/christmas-traditions-around-the-world-ga5.htm

Christmas in France

WIKIPEDIAChristmas in France
A major annual celebration, as in most countries of the Christian world. Christmas is celebrated as a public holiday in France on December 25, concurring alongside other countries.

Public life on Christmas Day is generally quiet. Post offices, banks, stores, restaurants, cafes and other businesses are closed. Many people in France put up a Christmas tree, visit a special church service, eat an elaborate meal and open gifts on Christmas Eve. Other activities include walking in the park, participating in city life and sharing a meal with family and close friends.

Pere Noel, "Father Christmas", sometimes called Papa Noel, is a legendary gift-bringer at Christmas in France and other French-speaking areas, identified with the Father Christmas or Santa Claus of English-speaking territories. According to tradition, on Christmas Eve children leave their shoes by the fireplace filled with carrots and treats for Pere Noel's donkey, Gui (French for "Mistletoe") before they go to bed. Pere Noel takes the offerings and, if the child has been good, leaves presents in their place. Presents are traditionally small enough to fit in the shoes; candy, money, or small toys.

Traditional French Christmas food includes a lot of meats (Ham, Turkey, Chicken and Beef) with sides like mashed potatoes, beans, salad, peas and carrots. Soup and bread is also very popular. Desserts include Yule log cake, cupcakes, muffins and other cakes along with small sweet and chocolate candies.

Some typical French Christmas foods include:

• Truffles
• Rabbit terrine
• Roasted capon
• Garlic soup
• Salad, peas, green beans, carrots and potatoes
• Small chocolate and sweet candies

Decorating for Christmas is very common in France. Many households, public spaces, and businesses are decorated with lights and Christmas trees. Advent wreaths (Couronnes de l'Avent) are also common, they are made up of fir and pine tree branches for the first Sunday of Advent. The Advent wreath is topped by four candles, symbolizing the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Each candle is lit on each of the Sundays before Christmas.

Trees can either be decorated or can have a simple homely and traditional decor. Instead of putting up ornamental Christmas decorations on the trees, often red ribbons are used for decorating the trees. Glass or plastic ornaments that resemble the apples that were traditionally hung from Christmas trees in France are also used for decorating the trees. Small white candles are also used. The use of the mistletoe considered to bring good luck and every household in France hangs mistletoe on the doors during Christmas. It is kept till New Year and there is a belief that if you kiss it at midnight, luck will favor you and you'll be filled with happiness and prosperity in the coming year.

Some other popular decorations include shoes instead of stockings, the use of candles are very popular and are typically set on tables during Christmas meals or set on window sills. Many French households, especially Christian ones, have nativity scenes. Also known as the creche, it is kept in the living room and can be elaborate or simple, depending on individual preference.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_France

A Guide to French Christmas Foods

Culture TripFrench Christmas Foods
Snowfall, fairy lights, and presents are great, but Christmas in France is really about indulging the national passion for food. The exact holiday menu depends on the region and the family but the main meal – le Reveillon – is enjoyed on Christmas Eve and puts overcooked turkey and stodgy Brussels sprouts to shame with its variety. Below are ten festive favorites and ideas for wine pairings for the perfect French feast.

Caviar
To get the party started, you’ll want to line your stomach with some caviar. If fish eggs aren’t your thing, you can swap them for smoked salmon without raising any local eyebrows. A traditional amuse-bouche is either of these fishy delicacies on blinis – miniature buckwheat pancakes – with a little dollop of creme aigre (or sour cream, if you prefer). The first bottles to be popped will mostly likely be champagne or some other sparkling wine like Vouvray, Saumur, or Touraine.

Oysters
Seafood at Christmas might seem strange to outsiders, but the French love it and Parisians are particularly fond of a platter of chilled oysters as a holiday appetizer. If you fear that raw, slippery oysters are going to leave you heaving over the toilet on Christmas morning then try cooking them with sabayon de champagne. A dry white wine like Sancerre or Pouilly Fuisse will pair nicely with them. And, whichever way you prepare your oysters, just make sure you don’t become one of the hundreds who end up in the emergency room with shucking-related injuries.

Foie Gras
Foie gras is another dish not for the squeamish, admittedly, as much for ethical reasons as for its taste or texture. Nevertheless, it is an absolute must for most Reveillon meals and as a special snack throughout the holiday season. Serve it with a thin slice of toast with a fig or onion confit on the side. Vins moelleux, or sweet wines, match best with foie gras, either a semi-sweet Coteaux du Layon or very sweet Sauterne depending on your palette.

Escargots
The idea that French people regularly chow down on a bowl of garlicky snails might be ill-conceived, but Christmas is one time of year when they are likely to make an appearance. Nowhere is this truer than in Burgundy where they are served as a starter with butter and parsley. You can pick up a bag of frozen snails in the freezer section of most supermarkets (a much better idea than trying to collect enough of them from the garden walls).

Scallops
Scallops, or coquilles Saint-Jacques as you’ll see them labeled at the market, are a popular choice for a starter on Christmas Eve. There are hundreds of ways to prepare them, but a classic recipe is with winter vegetables in a cream sauce. Your scallops should be alive at the time of purchase and free of strange juices and smells. Pick a dodgy batch and the following morning you’ll be wishing Santa had brought you a bucket instead of that snazzy new watch.

Roast Turkey with Chestnuts
While turkey is by no means synonymous with festive meals in France, you will still find it on many families’ tables. For the main dish, there’s really no limit to what meat can be served. If indeed they do opt for this hefty bird, it will be prepared with a chestnut stuffing. Visit any French town at Christmastime and you’ll smell just how important these nuts are to getting into the holiday spirit – practically every street corner has a vendor roasting them up and dishing them out in paper packets.

Lobster
Whereas we might spend most of our money at Christmas on what goes under the tree, don’t be surprised if French families have splurged more on what’s on the table. For a truly luxurious Reveillon supper, many people will boil up a lobster or ten for their main dish, potentially accompanied by other shellfish like crabs and king prawns.

Wildfowl
If you fancy changing things up and doing away with the turkey, but haven’t the budget (or the heart) to toss a dozen lobsters into a pot, then go wild, literally, in your choice of meats. Guinea fowl, pheasant, goose, and quail are all popular choices as are game meats like venison and boar. A traditional turkey substitute is capon, which is a rooster that has been castrated to improve its flavor. Yum. For a small group, duck breasts in a cranberry sauce will do nicely. Any good French red wine will pair well, especially a Bordeaux or Bourgogne.

The 13 Desserts
Once you’ve emptied the skies, lands, and seas of all their fleshy resources, your sweet tooth will be in need of attention. In Provence, they take this extremely seriously and serve up no less than 13 desserts at the end of le Reveillon. They are supposed to represent Jesus and the 12 disciples and are usually composed of figs, dried fruits, and a traditional cake known as the pompe à l’huile.

Buche de Noel
Anywhere else in the country, the most popular dessert is the Buche de Noel, or the Christmas chocolate log. Depending on your baking and frosting abilities, this Swiss roll cake can be as naturalistic as you like or alternatively topped with festive figurines. As this is France, you can expect the other usual after-dinner treats like a cheese platter made from cow, sheep, and goat’s milk and another glass of red wine to wash it all down.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/articles/a-guide-to-french-christmas-foods

Unmissable French Christmas Food and Drinks

CHEF'S PENCILFrench Christmas Food
Even though Christmas food is less and less linked to religious traditions in France, the French are still accustomed to having a big, fancy dinner late on Christmas Eve. And not only is it the biggest gastronomic feast of the year, it also has a name: Le Reveillon, meaning something like "The Awakening".

In the past, Christian traditions dictated that on this night, people should wait until after Midnight Mass to start eating, hence the name of the dinner since it kept people awake until the wee hours of the morning. While a number of families still follow this rule, most French families now gather in the evening of the 24th and start dinner at a more regular time, forgoing church. Alternatively, they may gather on the 25th, or both.

Now, a word of advice: if you get invited to a typical French Christmas dinner, you'd better come with an empty stomach. There is always tons of delicious food, and you'll be staying at the table for at least three hours on the table, usually longer!

The feast typically starts with a bunch of appetizers, followed by the main course (sometimes two), a platter of cheese, of course, and a variety of desserts -up to thirteen of them!. Sparkling wine flows in abundance, along with other liqueurs and spirits. Here is what to expect for a classical Christmas meal in France. Sante!

While the main holiday meal is undoubtedly Christmas Eve, there is still a large lunch to come on Christmas Day, when other parts of the family meet. The feasting can go on for several days until all the parents, grandparents, cousins and other relatives have visited; there are always plenty of leftovers. And before you know it, it's December 31, time for another huge dinner, followed by another huge lunch on January 1.

Appetizers

• Oysters
  The queen of Christmas appetizers, and possibly the lightest dish you will have all night! Usually served with a crisp white wine.
• Foie gras
  The king of Christmas appetizers, traditionally spread on toasted bread, sometimes with a hint of fig marmalade or caramelized onion, and a glass of sweet wine like Sauternes or Montbazillac.
• Smoked Salmon
  Another holiday classic, the French like to serve smoked salmon in one of two ways: either on toasted bread with butter and lemon, sometimes with capers, or with sour cream spread on blinis, which are tiny buckwheat pancakes, originally from Greece.
• Caviar
  Blinis have another use: caviar. Less common due to its prohibitive price, caviar (the eggs of sturgeon fish) is served on smaller portions of blinis. Most families purchase what some call the "fake caviar", made with the much more affordable lumpfish eggs.
• Escargots (Snails)
  The famous French snails! We need to tackle a myth here: French people don't eat snails all the time. In fact, the holiday season is one of the rare occasions of the year when escargots are on the menu. The big snails, which measure about 1.7 inches across, are cooked in their shell, then stuffed with a mix of butter, parsley, and salt.
• More Seafood
  Apart from these five classics, the French often have more seafood for appetizers, which typically includes langoustines (scampi), and scallops in a cream sauce.
• Pate
  Next up we have pate en croute, which is a combination of ground meat and organ meats, encased in a pastry crust and cooked in the oven. It is served in small portions as an appetizer.
• Terrine
  Our final appetizer is terrine, named after the dish it is cooked in, which combines layers of duck, bacon, pork, herbs, and spices. It is served on a slice of bread with mustard and a pickle.

Main Courses

• Small Turkey Stuffed with Chestnut
  The traditional way to eat turkey for this special time of the year is with chestnut, although it needn't be a stuffing; it can also be placed around the bird, as an ornament.
• Le Chapon
  Chapon (capon) is the most common alternative to turkey. But what is it? Nothing more than a castrated rooster – a process that is supposed to make it more tender and improve its flavor.
• Confit de Canard
  French people's love for duck does not end with foie gras. Another favorite for Christmas (and all year long, to be fair) is confit de canard.
• And more poultry
  If it's not turkey or chapon or duck on your table, you may find either guinea fowl, pheasant, quail, or goose. Let's be clear: these are not commonly eaten by the French – only during the Holiday season.
• Roasted Beef
  For those who enjoy red meat, good old roast beef is also quite traditional for Christmas, with roast potatoes on the side.
• Wild Game
  The French are not big consumers of wild game. However, you may well find some on a few people's tables at Christmas. Popular choices are venison, wild boar, or sometimes hare.
• Lobster
  Lobster (particularly blue lobster) is traditionally served for Christmas dinner, but the hefty price requires a certain budget. For that reason, it is far less common than meaty dishes. Given that there is usually seafood for appetizers, most people like to switch to meat for the main course.

Side Dishes

• Gratin Dauphinois
  The gratin dauphinois is a combination of layers of sliced potato, cream with garlic, and sliced Gruyere cheese.
• Grilled Mushrooms
  We are talking about wild mushrooms here, not the white, boring champignon de Paris that you can find at any supermarket. In the countryside, French people often collect wild mushrooms by themselves in the wood, or simply buy them fresh at the farmers' market.
• Spinach Souffle
  Filled with spinach and a bit of cheese, is a holiday classic.
• Haricots Verts
  Fresh green beans cooked in water, with a dash of butter and garlic for taste and texture.
• Cheese
  A traditional French meal always features a cheese platter. While there isn't really a "Christmas cheese", you will normally find Camembert, Brie, aged Comte, probably some goat cheese and blue cheese, or maybe a rich Brillat-Savarin with truffles. For an authentic French cheese board, you'll need at least four different varieties.

Desserts

• Buche de Noel
  This is, without a doubt, the most emblematic Christmas dessert. Buche de Noel literally means Christmas log, because it mimics a tree branch. Known in English as yule log, it is merely a rolled genoise cake filled with buttercream and decorated with mushroom-shaped meringue.
• Marrons Chauds
  These roasted hot chestnuts may not make it to Christmas lunch or dinner, but they are very popular as a snack during the holiday season, mostly sold by street vendors who roast them on the spot and serve them in paper bags, or in newspaper.
• Marrons Glaces
  While the name means "iced chestnuts", marrons glaces are not quite the opposite to "hot chestnuts", as the fruits are cooked in both cases, albeit differently. Glaces refers here to the sugar glazing that surrounds the chestnuts. They are served individually on tiny paper cups at the end of a typical Christmas meal, along with coffee or tea.
• Pain d'epices
  The French equivalent of gingerbread, particularly popular in the east and north of France. This sweet bread is typically aromatized with cinnamon, cardamom, almonds, and honey.
• The 13 Desserts
  Before you gasp, let me state that this is not as decadent as it seems. This tradition from Provence, in the south of France, is a direct reference to the last dinner of Jesus and his 12 apostles: one portion of dessert for each. Today, it is still common to follow this tradition to finish the Reveillon. While the individual desserts can vary, there is usually a combination of different nuts, fruits (fresh, dried and candied), and regional specialties such as nougat from Montelimar, calissons from Aix, and the traditional olive oil cake known as pompe a l'huile (literally "oil pump"). The idea is not to eat 13 desserts per person, rather share them!

Drinks

• Sparkling Wine
  Christmas is a time of celebration, and when it comes to drinks, celebration = sparkling wine.
• Kir Royal
  Another holiday classic, made of champagne and blackcurrant liquor (although some prefer cherry liquor as well).
• Mulled Wine
  Known as gluhwein in Germany and vin chaud in France, this mixture is typical from the east of France, particularly the once-German region of Alsace.

https://www.chefspencil.com/unmissable-french-christmas-food-and-drinks/

May 8, 1985
President Reagan and Vivien Crea arrival ceremony at airport in Strasbourg France.

Ronald Reagan's
White House Diaries

Reagan's Daily DiaryWednesday, May 8, 1985
The King & Queen came by to take us to the airport. There was a farewell ceremony-review of troops,-nat. anthems, 21 guns-the works. Then it was goodbye & we were off to Strasbourg to address the European Parliament. Let me just say, the monarchy in Spain like an anchor to windward is an important factor in keeping Spain on a democratic course and the King is dedicated to that purpose. He & I have a solid relationship & his friendship for the U.S. is sincere and lasting.

We arrived at the Strasbourg airport about 12:15-met by our Ambas. Van Galbreath [Galbraith] plus a large delegation headed by Pierre Pflimlin-Parliament Pres. The usual ceremonies-review of the French Troops etc. Nancy was then taken for a tour of historic old Strasbourg. I went to a lunch with the greeters & members of Parliament, signed the Golden Book of Strasbourg with the Mayor & then on to the Parliament. I was aware that 38 members out of the 434 had voted that I shouldn’t be allowed to speak, so was not surprised when I was greeted with something of a demonstration. I am the 1st Am. Pres. to ever address the E.P. The pol. coloration of the demonstrators was obvious. They reacted to any criticism of the Soviets-held up signs about Nicaragua etc. I felt it necessary to direct a few comments their way which brought ovations from the majority. My theme was "Freedom works," and I recognized the near miracle that the Parliament represents.

At the beginning there was a breakdown in the teleprompter & I had a momentary problem picking up my place in the script. After a time the TP began working.

After the speech had a brief meeting with Pres. Ahrens of the Parliamentary Assembly, Sec. Gen. of the Council of Europe Oreja & Chairman of the Council of Europe Comm. of Ministers Deputies.

Then Nancy joined us & it was off to Lisbon-a 3 hr. flight across France, the Pyrenees & Spain. I was struck again at how much the Spanish & Portuguese countryside looks like Calif.

We were met by Pres. Eanes & wife. Motored into town (this was my 2nd meeting with the Pres.-he had been to Wash. on a State visit). We had a chance to visit on the drive-Nancy & his wife were in another car.

In town a huge, warm welcoming crowd and the usual military review- except this time part were horse cavalry. Then we went into the ancient Jeronimos Monastery for a wreath laying ceremony assisted by mil. cadets. A meeting with Lisbons Mayor & his wife-signed guest book & exchanged gifts. Then to Belem Palace escorted by the cavalry. Another exchange of gifts. Pres. Eanes & our people had a plenary meeting. He held forth most of time about N.A.T.O. & need for additional help in mil. spending. We have a solid partnership what with our bases on the Azores etc.

Then we departed for the Queluz palace & the luxury of dinner in bed & a good nights sleep.

Key Facts

• President Reagan leaves Germany and travels to Strasbourg, France.
• President Reagan leaves Strasbourg, France and travels to Lisbon, Portugal.

https://www.reaganfoundation.org/ronald-reagan/white-house-diaries/diary-entry-05081985/

Ronald Reagan
National Archives: Speeches

Ronald ReaganAddress to a Special Session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France

May 8, 1985

The President. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. It is an honor to be with you on this day.

We mark today the anniversary of the liberation of Europe from tyrants who had seized this continent and plunged it into a terrible war. Forty years ago today, the guns were stilled and peace began, a peace that has become the longest of this century.

On this day 40 years ago, they swarmed onto the boulevards of Paris, rallied under the Arc de Triomphe and sang the Marseillaise. They were out there in the open and free air. And now, on this day 40 years ago, Winston Churchill walked out onto a balcony in Whitehall and said to the people of Britain, "This is your victory." And the crowd yelled back, in an unforgettable moment of love and gratitude, "No, it is yours." Londoners tore the blackout curtains from their windows, put floodlights on the great symbols of English history. And for the first time in nearly 6 years, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and St. Paul's Cathedral were illuminated against the sky.

Across the ocean, a half a million New Yorkers flooded Times Square and laughed and posed for the cameras. In Washington, our new President Harry Truman called reporters into his office and said, "The flags of freedom fly all over Europe."

On that day 40 years ago, I was at my post in an Army Air Corps installation in Culver City, California. Passing a radio, I heard the words, "Ladies and gentlemen, the war in Europe is over."I felt a chill, as if a gust of cold wind had just swept past, and even though for America there was still a war in the Pacific front, I realized I would never forget that moment.

This day can't help but be emotional, for in it we feel the long tug of memory. We're reminded of shared joy and shared pain. A few weeks ago in California, an old soldier with tears in his eyes said: "It was such a different world then. It's almost impossible to describe it to someone who wasn't there. But when they finally turned the lights on in the cities again, it was like being reborn."

If it is hard to communicate the happiness of those days, it is even harder to communicate, to those who did not share it, the depth of Europe's agony. So much of it lay in ruins. Whole cities had been destroyed. Children played in the rubble and begged for food.

And by this day 40 years ago, over 40 million lay dead, and the survivors -- they composed a continent of victims. And to this day we wonder: How did this happen? How did civilization take such a terrible turn? After all the books and documentaries, after all the histories and studies, we still wonder: How?

Hannah Arendt spoke of the "banality of evil" -- the banality of the little men who did the terrible deeds. We know they were totalitarians who used the state, which they had elevated to the level of a god, to inflict war on peaceful nations and genocide on innocent peoples. We know of the existence of evil in the human heart, and we know that in Nazi Germany that evil was institutionalized, given power and direction by the state and those who did its bidding. We also know that early attempts to placate the totalitarians did not save us from war. They didn't save us from war; in fact they guaranteed war. There are lessons to be learned in this and never forgotten.

But there is a lesson, too, in another thing we saw in those days, perhaps we can call it the commoness of virtue. The common men and women who somehow dug greatness from within their souls, the people who sang to the children during the Blitz, who joined the resistance and said no to tyranny, the people who had the courage to hide and save the Jews and the dissidents, the people who became for a moment the repositories of all the courage of the West -- from a child named Anne Frank to a hero named Raoul Wallenberg. These names shine. They give us heart forever. The glow of their memories lit Europe in her darkest days.

Who can forget the hard days after the war? We can't help but look back and think life was so vivid then. There was the sense of purpose, the joy of shared effort, and later the impossible joy of our triumph. Those were the days when the West rolled up its sleeves and repaired the damage that had been done, the days when Europe rose in glory from the ruins. Old enemies were reconciled with the European family. Together, America and Western Europe created and put into place the Marshall plan to rebuild from the rubble. And together we created an Atlantic alliance, which proceeded not from transient interests of state, but from shared ideals. Together we created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a partnership aimed at seeing that the kind of tyrants that had tormented Europe would never torment her again.

NATO was a triumph of organization and effort, but is was also something very new and very different. For NATO derived its strength directly from the moral values of the people it represented, from their high ideals, their love of liberty, and their commitment to peace. But perhaps the greatest triumph of all was not in the realm of a sound defense or material achievement. No, the greatest triumph after the war is that in spite of all of the chaos, poverty, sickness, and misfortune that plagued this continent, the people of Western Europe resisted the call of new tyrants and the lure of their seductive ideologies. Your nations did not become the breeding ground for new extremist philosophies. You resisted the totalitarian temptation. Your people embraced democracy, the dream the Fascists could not kill. They chose freedom.

And today we celebrate the leaders who led the way -- Churchill and Monnet, Adenauer and Schuman, De Gasperi and Spaak, Truman and Marshall. And we celebrate, too, the free political parties that contributed their share of greatness -- the Liberals and the Christian Democrats, the Social Democrats and Labour and the Conservatives. Together they tugged at the same oar, and the great and mighty ship of Europe moved on.

If any doubt their success, let them look at you. In this room are those who fought on opposite sides 40 years ago and their sons and daughters. Now you work together to lead Europe democratically; you buried animosity and hatred in the rubble. There is no greater testament to reconciliation and to the peaceful unity of Europe than the men and women in this chamber.

In the decades after the war, Europe knew great growth and power, amazing vitality in every area of life -- from fine arts to fashion, from manufacturing to science to the world of ideas. Europe was robust and alive, and none of this was an accident. It was the natural result of freedom, the natural fruit of the democratic ideal. We in America looked at Europe and called her what she was -- an economic miracle.

And we could hardly be surprised. When we Americans think about our European heritage, we tend to think of your cultural influences and the rich ethnic heritage you gave us. But the Industrial Revolution that transformed the American economy came from Europe. The guiding intellectual lights of our democratic system -- Locke, Montesquieu, and Adam Smith -- came from Europe. And the geniuses who ushered in the modern industrial-technological age came from -- well, I think you know, but two examples will suffice: Alexander Graham Bell, whose great invention maddens every American parent whose child insists on phoning his European pen pal rather than writing to him -- and he was a Scotsman -- [laughter] -- and Guglielmo Marconi, who invented the radio, thereby providing a living for a young man from Dixon, Illinois, who later went into politics. I guess I should explain: That's me. Blame Marconi. [Laughter] And Marconi, as you know, was born in Italy.

Tomorrow will mark the 35th anniversary of the Schuman plan, which led to the European Coal and Steel Community, the first block in the creation of a united Europe. The purpose was to tie French and German and European industrial production so tightly together that war between them "becomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible." Those are the words of Robert Schuman; the Coal and Steel Community was the child of his genius. I believe if he were here today, I believe he would say: We have only just begun!

I'm here to tell you that America remains, as she was 40 years ago, dedicated to the unity of Europe. We continue to see a strong and unified Europe not as a rival but as an even stronger partner. Indeed, John F. Kennedy, in his ringing declaration of interdependence in the Freedom Bell city of Philadelphia 23 years ago, explicitly made this objective a key tenet of postwar American policy; that policy saw the New World and the Old as twin pillars of a larger democratic community. We Americans still see European unity as a vital force in that historic process. We favor the expansion of the European Community; we welcome the entrance of Spain and Portugal into that Community, for their presence makes for a stronger Europe, and a stronger Europe is a stronger West.

Yet despite Europe's economic miracle, which brought so much prosperity to so many, despite the visionary ideas of the European leaders, despite the enlargement of democracy's frontiers within the European Community itself, I'm told that a more doubting mood is upon Europe today. I hear words like "Europessimism" and "Eu- roparalysis." I'm told that Europe seems to have lost that sense of confidence that dominated that postwar era. Well, if there is something of a lost quality these days, is it connected to the fact that some in the past few years have begun to question the ideals and philosophies that have guided the West for centuries, that some have even come to question the moral and intellectual worth of the West?

I wish to speak, in part, to that questioning today. And there is no better place to do it than Strasbourg -- where Goethe studied, where Pasteur taught, where Hugo knew inspiration. This has been a lucky city for questioning and finding valid answers. It is also a city for which some of us feel a very sweet affection. You know that our Statue of Liberty was a gift from France, and its sculptor, Auguste Bartholdi, was a son of France. I don't know if you've ever studied the face of the statue, but immigrants entering New York Harbor used to strain to see it, as if it would tell them something about their new world. It's a strong, kind face. It is the face of Bartholdi's mother, a woman of Alsace. And so, among the many things we Americans thank you for, we thank you for her.

The Statue of Liberty -- made in Europe, erected in America -- helps remind us not only of past ties but present realities. It is to those realities we must look in order to dispel whatever doubts may exist about the course of history and the place of free men and women within it. We live in a complex, dangerous, divided world; yet a world which can provide all of the good things we require -- spiritual and material -- if we but have the confidence and courage to face history's challenge.

We in the West have much to be thankful for -- peace, prosperity, and freedom. If we are to preserve these for our children and for theirs, today's leaders must demonstrate the same resolve and sense of vision which inspired Churchill, Adenauer, De Gasperi, and Schuman. The challenge was to rebuild a democratic Europe under the shadow of Soviet power. Our task, in some ways even more daunting, is to keep the peace with an ever more powerful Soviet Union, to introduce greater stability in our relationship with it, and to live together in a world in which our values can prosper.

The leaders and people of postwar Europe had learned the lessons of their history from the failures of their predecessors. They learned that aggression feeds on appeasement and that weakness itself can be provocative. We, for our part, can learn from the success of our predecessors. We know that both conflict and aggression can be deterred, that democratic nations are capable of the resolve, the sacrifices, and the consistency of policy needed to sustain such deterrence.

From the creation of NATO in 1949 through the early 1970's, Soviet aggression was effectively deterred. The strength of Western economies, the vitality of our societies, the wisdom of our diplomacy all contributed to Soviet restraint; but certainly the decisive factor must have been the countervailing power -- ultimately, military, and above all, nuclear power, which the West was capable of bringing to bear in the defense of its interests.

It was in the early 1970's that the United States lost that superiority over the Soviet Union in strategic nuclear weapons, which had characterized the postwar era. In Europe the effect of this loss was not quickly perceptible, but seen globally, Soviet conduct changed markedly and dangerously. First in Angola in 1975, then when the West failed to respond, in Ethiopia, in South Yemen, in Kampuchea, and ultimately in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union began courting more risks and expanding its influence through the indirect and direct application of military power. Today we see similar Soviet efforts to profit from and stimulate regional conflicts in Central America.

Audience members. Boo - o - o!

The President. They haven't been there. I have.

The ineffectual Western response to Soviet adventurism of the late 1970's had many roots, not least the crisis of self-confidence within the American body politic wrought by the Vietnam experience. But just as Soviet decision making in the earlier postwar era had taken place against a background of overwhelming American strategic power, so the decisions of the late seventies were taken in Moscow, as in Washington and throughout Europe, against a background of growing Soviet and stagnating Western nuclear strength.

One might draw the conclusion from these events that the West should reassert that nuclear superiority over the Soviet Union upon which our security and our strategy rested through the postwar era. That is not my view. We cannot and should not seek to build our peace and freedom perpetually upon the basis of expanding nuclear arsenals.

In the short run, we have no alternative but to compete with the Soviet Union in this field, not in the pursuit of superiority but merely of balance. It is thus essential that the United States maintain a modern and survivable nuclear capability in each leg of the strategic triad -- sea, land, and air-based. It is similarly important that France and Britain maintain and modernize their independent strategic capabilities.

Now, the Soviet Union, however, does not share our view of what constitutes a stable nuclear balance. It has chosen instead to build nuclear forces clearly designed to strike first and thus disarm their adversary. The Soviet Union is now moving toward deployment of new mobile MIRV'ed missiles which have these capabilities plus the potential to avoid detection, monitoring, or arms control verification. In doing this the Soviet Union is undermining stability and the basis for mutual deterrence.

One can imagine several possible responses to the continued Soviet buildup of nuclear forces. On the one hand, we can ask the Soviet Union to reduce its offensive systems through equitable, verifiable arms control measures. We are pressing that case in Geneva. Thus far, however, we've heard nothing new from the other side.

A second possibility would be for the West to step up our current modernization effort to keep up with constantly accelerating Soviet deployments, not to regain superiority but merely to keep up with Soviet deployments. But is this really an acceptable alternative? Even if this course could be sustained by the West, it would produce a less stable strategic balance than the one we have today. Must we accept an endless process of nuclear arms competition? I don't think so. We need a better guarantee of peace than that.

And fortunately, there is a third possibility. It is to offset the continued Soviet offensive buildup in destabilizing weapons by developing defenses against these weapons. In 1983 I launched a new research program -- the Strategic Defense Initiative.

The state of modern technology may soon make possible, for the first time, the ability to use nonnuclear systems to defeat ballistic missiles. The Soviets themselves have long recognized the value of defensive systems and have invested heavily in them. Indeed, they have spent as much on defensive systems as they have on offensive systems for more than 20 years.

Now, this research program will take time. As we proceed with it, we will remain within existing treaty constraints. We will also consult in the closest possible fashion with our allies. And when the time for decisions on the possible production and deployment of such systems comes, we must and will discuss and negotiate these issues with the Soviet Union.

Both for the short- and the long-term I'm confident that the West can maintain effective military deterrence. But surely we can aspire to more than maintaining a state of highly armed truce in international politics.

During the 1970's we went to great lengths to restrain unilaterally our strategic weapons programs out of the conviction that the Soviet Union would adhere to certain rules in its conduct -- rules such as neither side seeking to gain unilateral advantage at the expense of the other. Those efforts of the early 1970's resulted in some improvements in Europe, the Berlin Quadripartite Agreement being the best example. But the hopes for a broader and lasting moderation of the East-West competition foundered in Angola, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua.

The question before us today is whether we have learned from those mistakes, and can we undertake a stable and peaceful relationship with the Soviet Union based upon effective deterrence and the reduction of tensions. I believe we can. I believe we've learned that fruitful cooperation with the Soviet Union must be accompanied by successful competition in areas, particularly Third World areas where the Soviets are not yet prepared to act with restraint.

[At this point, some members of the audience walked out.]

You know, I've learned something useful. Maybe if I talk long enough in my own Congress, some of those will walk out.

But let me talk about the reflections which have molded our policy toward the Soviet Union. That policy embodies the following basic elements:

While we maintain deterrence to preserve the peace, the United States will make a steady, sustained effort to reduce tensions and solve problems in its relations with the Soviet Union.

The United States is prepared to conclude fair, equitable, verifiable agreements for arms reduction, above all with regard to offensive nuclear weapons.

The United States will insist upon compliance with past agreements, both for their own sake and to strengthen confidence in the possibility of future accords.

The United States seeks no unilateral advantages and, of course, can accept none on the Soviet side.

The United States will proceed in full consultation with its allies, recognizing that our fates are intertwined and we must act in unity.

The United States does not seek to undermine or change the Soviet system nor to impinge upon the security of the Soviet Union. At the same time it will resist attempts by the Soviet Union to use or threaten force against others or to impose its system on others by force.

Ultimately, I hope the leaders of the Soviet Union will come to understand that they have nothing to gain from attempts to achieve military superiority or to spread their dominance by force but have much to gain from joining the West in mutual arms reduction and expanding cooperation.

I have directed the Secretary of State to engage with the Soviet Union on an extended agenda of problem solving. Yet even as we embark upon new efforts to sustain a productive dialog with the Soviet Union, we're reminded of the obstacles posed by our so fundamentally different concepts of humanity, of human rights, of the value of human life. The murder of Major Nicholson by a Soviet soldier in East Germany and the Soviet Union's refusal to accept responsibility for this act is only the latest reminder.

If we're to succeed in reducing East-West tensions, we must find means to ensure against the arbitrary use of lethal force in the future, whether against individuals like Major Nicholson or against groups such as the passengers on a jumbo jet.

It is for that reason that I would like to outline for you today what I believe would be a useful way to proceed. I propose that the United States and the Soviet Union take four practical steps.

First, that our two countries make a regular practice of exchanging military observers at military exercises and locations. We now follow this practice with many other nations, to the equal benefit of all parties.

Second, as I believe it is desirable for the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to meet and tackle problems, I am also convinced that the military leaders of our nations could benefit from more contact. I therefore propose that we institute regular, high-level contacts between Soviet and American military leaders to develop better understanding and to prevent potential tragedies from occurring.

Third, I urge that the Conference on Disarmament in Europe act promptly and agree on the concrete confidence-building measures proposed by the NATO countries. The United States is prepared to discuss the Soviet proposal on nonuse of force in the context of Soviet agreement to concrete confidence-building measures.

Fourth, I believe a permanent military-to-military communications link could serve a useful purpose in this important area of our relationship. It could be the channel for exchanging notifications and other information regarding routine military activities, thereby reducing the chances of misunderstanding and misinterpretation. And over time, it might evolve into a risk-reduction mechanism for rapid communication and exchange of data in times of crisis.

These proposals are not cure-alls for our current problems. They will not compensate for the deaths which have occurred. But as terrible as past events have been, it would be more tragic if we were to make no attempt to prevent even larger tragedies from occurring through lack of contact and communication.

We in the West have much to do, and we must do it together. We must remain unified in the face of attempts to divide us and strong in spite of attempts to weaken us. And we must remember that our unity and strength are not a mere impulse of like-minded allies, but the natural result of our shared love for liberty.

Surely we have no illusions that convergence of the Communist system and the free societies of the West is likely. We're in for an extended period of competition of ideas. It is up to us in the West to answer whether or not we will make available the resources, ideas, and assistance necessary to compete with the Soviet Union in the Third World. We have much in our favor, not least the experience of those states which have tried Marxism and are looking for an alternative.

We do not aspire to impose our system on anyone, nor do we have pat answers for all the world's ills. But our ideals of freedom and democracy -- --

Audience members. Nicaragua! Nicaragua!

The President. Is there an echo in here? [Laughter]

Our ideals of freedom and democracy and our economic systems have proven their ability to meet the needs of our people. Our adversaries can offer their people only economic stagnation and the corrupt hand of a state and party bureaucracy which ultimately satisfy neither material nor spiritual needs.

I want to reaffirm to the people of Europe the constancy of the American purpose. We were at your side through two great wars; we have been at your side through 40 years of a sometimes painful peace. We're at your side today, because, like you, we have not veered from the ideals of the West -- the ideals of freedom, liberty, and peace. Let no one -- no one -- doubt our purpose.

The United States is committed not only to the security of Europe, we're committed to the re-creation of a larger and more genuinely European Europe. The United States is committed not only to a partnership with Europe, the United States is committed to an end to the artificial division of Europe.

We do not deny any nation's legitimate interest in security. We share the basic aspirations of all of the peoples of Europe -- freedom, prosperity, and peace. But when families are divided and people are not allowed to maintain normal human and cultural contacts, this creates international tension. Only in a system in which all feel secure and sovereign can there be a lasting and secure peace.

For this reason we will support and will encourage movement toward the social, humanitarian, and democratic ideals shared in Europe. The issue is not one of state boundaries but of ensuring the right of all nations to conduct their affairs as their peoples desire. The problem of a divided Europe, like others, must be solved by peaceful means. Let us rededicate ourselves to the full implementation of the Helsinki final act in all its aspects.

As we seek to encourage democracy, we must remember that each country must struggle for democracy within its own culture. Emerging democracies have special problems and require special help. Those nations whose democratic institutions are newly emerged and whose confidence in the process is not yet deeply rooted need our help. They should have an established community of their peers, other democratic countries to whom they can turn for support or just advice.

In my address to the British Parliament in 1982, I spoke of the need for democratic governments to spread the message of democracy throughout the world. I expressed my support for the Council of Europe's effort to bring together delegates from many nations for this purpose. I am encouraged by the product of that conference -- the Strasbourg initiative.

We in our country have launched a major effort to strengthen and promote democratic ideals and institutions. Following a pattern first started in the Federal Republic of Germany, the United States Congress approved the National Endowment for Democracy. This organization subsequently established institutes of labor, business, and political parties dedicated to programs of cooperation with democratic forces around the world. I hope other democracies will join in this effort and contribute their wisdom and talents to this cause.

Here in Western Europe you have created a multinational democratic community in which there is a free flow of people, of information, of goods, and of culture. West Europeans move frequently and freely in all directions, sharing and partaking of each other's ideas and culture. It is my hope that in the 21st century, which is only 15 years away, all Europeans, from Moscow to Lisbon, will be able to travel without a passport; and the free flow of people and ideas will include the other half of Europe. It is my fervent wish that in the next century there will be one free Europe.

I do not believe those who say the people of Europe today are paralyzed and pessimistic. And I would say to those who think this, Europe, beloved Europe, you are greater than you know. You are the treasury of centuries of Western thought and Western culture; you are the father of Western ideals and the mother of Western faith. Europe, you have been the power and the glory of the West, and you are a moral success. In the horrors after World War II, you rejected totalitarianism; you rejected the lure of the new superman and a new Communist man; you proved that you were and are a moral triumph.

You in the West are a Europe without illusions, a Europe firmly grounded in the ideals and traditions that made her greatness, a Europe unbound and unfettered by a bankrupt ideology. You are today a new Europe on the brink of a new century, a democratic community with much to be proud of.

We have so much to do. The work ahead is not unlike the building of a great cathedral. The work is slow, complicated, and painstaking. It's passed on with pride from generation to generation. It's the work not only of leaders but of ordinary people. The cathedral evolves as it is created, with each generation adding its own vision. But the initial ideal remains constant, and the faith that drives the vision persists. The results may be slow to see, but our children and their children will trace in the air the emerging arches and spires and know the faith and dedication and love that produced them. My friends, Europe is the cathedral, and it is illuminated still.

And if you doubt your will and your spirit and your strength to stand for something, think of those people 40 years ago who wept in the rubble, who laughed in the streets, who paraded across Europe, who cheered Churchill with love and devotion, who sang the "Marseillaise" down the boulevards. Spirit like that does not disappear; it cannot perish; it will not go. There is too much left unsung within it.

I would like to just conclude with one line, if I could, and say we've seen evidence here of your faith in democracy, in the ability of some to speak up freely as they preferred to speak. And yet I can't help but remind all of us that some who take advantage of that right of democracy seem unaware that if the government that they would advocate became reality, no one would have that freedom to speak up again.

Thank you all for your graciousness on this great day. Thank you, and God bless you all. Thank you.

NOTEThe President spoke at 2:35 p.m. in the assembly chamber at the Palais de l'Europe. He was introduced by Pierre Pflimlin, President of the European Parliament. Following his address, the President met briefly with Marcelino Oreja, Secretary General of the Council of Europe. He then traveled to Lisbon, Portugal.

https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/address-special-session-european-parliament-strasbourg-france

France

WIKIPEDIAThe French Republic
Located primarily in Western Europe. It also includes overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, giving it one of the largest discontiguous exclusive economic zones in the world. Metropolitan France shares borders with Belgium and Luxembourg to the north, Germany to the north east, Switzerland to the east, Italy and Monaco to the south east, Andorra and Spain to the south, and a maritime border with the United Kingdom to the north west. Its metropolitan area extends from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea; overseas territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean.

Metropolitan France was settled during the Iron Age by Celtic tribes known as Gauls before Rome annexed the area in 51 BC, leading to a distinct Gallo-Roman culture. In the Early Middle Ages, the Germanic Franks formed the Kingdom of Francia, which became the heartland of the Carolingian Empire. The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned the empire, with West Francia evolving into the Kingdom of France. In the High Middle Ages, France was a powerful but decentralized feudal kingdom, but from the mid-14th to the mid-15th centuries, France was plunged into a dynastic conflict with England known as the Hundred Years' War. In the 16th century, the French Renaissance saw culture flourish and a French colonial empire rise. Internally, France was dominated by the conflict with the House of Habsburg and the French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Huguenots. France was successful in the Thirty Years' War and further increased its influence during the reign of Louis XIV.

The French Revolution of 1789 overthrew the Ancien Regime and produced the Declaration of the Rights of Man, which expresses the nation's ideals to this day. France reached its political and military zenith in the early 19th century under Napoleon Bonaparte, subjugating part of continental Europe and establishing the First French Empire. The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars significantly shaped the course of European history. The collapse of the empire initiated a period of relative decline, in which France endured a tumultuous succession of governments until the founding of the French Third Republic during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Subsequent decades saw a period of economic prosperity and cultural and scientific flourishing known as the Belle Epoque. France was one of the major participants of World War I, from which it emerged victorious at great human and economic cost. It was among the Allied powers of World War II, but it surrendered and was occupied by the Axis in 1940. Following its liberation in 1944, the short-lived Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the defeat in the Algerian War. The current Fifth Republic was formed in 1958 by Charles de Gaulle. Algeria and most French colonies became independent in the 1960s, with the majority retaining close economic and military ties with France.

France retains its centuries-long status as a global centre of art, science, and philosophy. It hosts the third-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the world's leading tourist destination, receiving over 89 million foreign visitors in 2018. France is a developed country with a high nominal per capita income globally and its advanced economy ranks among the largest in the world. It is a great power in global affairs, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and an official nuclear-weapon state. France is a founding and leading member of the European Union and the eurozone, as well as a key member of the Group of Seven, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Francophonie.

• Its eighteen integral regions (five of which are overseas) span a combined area of 248,573 sq mi. There are 13 regions in metropolitan France (including Corsica), and five overseas. The regions are further subdivided into 101 departments
• Total population of over 68 million as of January 2023.
• France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial center; other major urban areas include Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Lille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, and Nice.
• France had colonial possessions, in various forms since the beginning of the 17th century, but in the 19th and 20th centuries its global overseas colonial empire extended greatly and became the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire.
• One of the most developed economies in the world. France has a mixed market economy, characterized by sizeable government involvement, and economic diversity. For roughly two centuries, the French economy has consistently ranked among the ten largest globally. In 2018, France was the fifth-largest trading nation in the world and the second-largest in Europe, with the value of exports representing over a fifth of GDP.
• The Paris stock exchange (French: La Bourse de Paris) is one of the oldest in the world, created by Louis XV in 1724.
• France is a founding member of the United Nations and serves as one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto rights. In 2015, it was described as "the best networked state in the world" due to its membership in more international institutions than any other country; these include the G7, World Trade Organization (WTO), the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Indian Ocean Commission (COI).
• The French Armed Forces are among the largest in the world and the largest in the EU. The French Armed Forces ranked as the world's sixth-most powerful military, and the second most powerful in Europe after Russia. France has major military industries and one of the largest aerospace sectors in the world.
• With 89 million international tourist arrivals in 2018, France is the world's top tourist destination, ahead of Spain (83 million) and the United States (80 million). However, it ranks third in tourism-derived income due to the shorter duration of visits. The most popular tourist sites include (annual visitors): Eiffel Tower (6.2 million), Chateau de Versailles (2.8 million), Museum national d'Histoire naturelle (2 million), Pont du Gard (1.5 million), Arc de Triomphe (1.2 million), Mont Saint-Michel (1 million), Sainte-Chapelle (683,000), Chateau du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (549,000), Puy de Dome (500,000), Musee Picasso (441,000), and Carcassonne (362,000). The Eiffel Tower is the world's most-visited paid monument, an icon of both Paris and France.
• France, especially Paris, has some of the world's largest and most renowned museums, including the Louvre, which is the most visited art museum in the world (7.7 million visitors in 2022)
• France is the world's tenth-largest producer of electricity. France was the biggest energy exporter in Europe, mostly to the U.K. and Italy, and the largest net exporter of electricity in the world. France derives most of its electricity from nuclear power, the highest percentage in the world. It is one of 32 countries with nuclear power plants, ranking second in the world by the number of operational nuclear reactors, at 56.
• France possesses the Millau Viaduct, the world's tallest bridge.
• The official language of France is French.
• According to a survey held in 2016 51.1% of the total population of France was Christian. The current Jewish community in France is the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world after Israel and the United States.
• The French health care system is one of universal health care largely financed by government national health insurance. In its 2000 assessment of world health care systems, the World Health Organization found that France provided the "close to best overall health care" in the world.
• France hosts "the world's biggest annual sporting event", the Tour de France.
• French cuisine is renowned for being one of the finest in the world. Different regions have different styles. In the North, butter and cream are common ingredients, whereas olive oil is more commonly used in the South.

EtymologyTthe name France comes from the Latin Francia, or "realm of the Franks". It was originally applied to the whole Frankish Empire. Modern France is still named today Francia in Italian and Spanish, while Frankreich in German, Frankrijk in Dutch and Frankrike in Swedish and Norwegian all mean "Land/realm of the Franks". The name of the Franks is related to the English word frank ("free")

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France