European Christmas Traditions: France, Italy, Belgium

Last year we took you on a journey to Spain, Greece, Slovenia and many other European countries to celebrate Christmas in Europe with us. This year we are bringing three more incredible destinations, where you can celebrate effortless Christmas holidays and traditions with family and friends in our cosy holiday homes!  

Amidst the high season of joy, hope and festivities, Italy, France and Belgium have made it to our list as they bring in the biggest holiday of the year with traditions dipped in lip-smacking food, Christmas markets, gift exchanges and more. 

So, hold on to your loved ones tight this season and celebrate Christmas the traditional way wherever you are in Europe! 

The advent calendar leading up to the anticipated Christmas Day 

Christmas traditions in France

Christmas in France is celebrated in quite a traditional way, with the Christmas Eve feast called Le Réveillon de Noël. This feast symbolises a spiritual awakening and usually consists of rich local ingredients and cuisines (it could be roast turkey or oysters) and differs from region to region all over France: but all of them lead to a delightfully sinful Bûche De Noël, a yule log dessert with butter-cream frosting and cocoa-dusted meringue. Foie Gras is also commonly enjoyed all over the country, especially in Alsace. 

In the Provençal region (or the area around the dazzling French Riviera), the week leading up to Christmas is loaded with desserts, and as many as 13 are prepared and enjoyed symbolising Jesus and the 12 apostles; some treats that are included in this rich and lavish tradition include candied nuts, fruits and sweet, chewy nougat. 

French Christmas celebrations are also big on nativity scenes. Called crèche in French, the nativity scenes in France can range from very simple ones to super elaborate scenes that include way more figurines than that of just the Jesus, Mary and Joseph trio. 

The French also have their version of Santa Claus, called Père Noël, but in this case, Père Noël is accompanied by Père Fouettard, who, like most folklores around Christmas, spanks the children who have been naughty during the year! Kids, especially partake of 3 French Christmas traditions that they look forward to during the season. 

Santa at work, reading children’s Christmas letters 

First, is the opening of Advent Calendars in the month of December. The second tradition is quite different from other countries, wherein the kids leave shoes instead of stockings by the fire. And the third tradition is perhaps the most heartwarming one–and includes postcards from Père Noël. According to 1962 stipulations in France, every kid who writes to Père Noël gets a postcard back from this evasive magical figure!  

Tip: If you are travelling to the French Alps with family this holiday season and want to enjoy skiing and more, then check out our essential guide to the Mont Blanc! 

Finally, Christmas celebrations end in France with the Epiphany on the 6th of January, where a special tart called Galette des Rois is brought from bakeries with a tiny ceramic figure, called fève, baked into it. Whosoever finds the fève on Epiphany is then deemed king or queen for the day! 

Thinking of enjoying a French Christmas already? Book your perfect holiday home in France! 

The French Epiphany tradition of the delicious Galette de Rois with a fève baked into it 

Christmas traditions in Italy 

Big on feasts and big on festivities, that is how Christmas in Italy is celebrated. The feasting starts from the first day of celebrations, that is the 8th of December (The Day of Immaculate Conception) and continues till the Epiphany, on the 6th of January, when the good Christmas witch, La Befana, visits to give presents.  

Many Italians utilise the holiday on the 8th of December to start preparing for Christmas and decorate the Christmas tree. Most exchange Christmas gifts between the Christmas Eve and the Christmas day. In some parts of Italy, Christmas presents are opened on the 13th of December, that is, St. Lucia’s Day.  

The biggest feast of the season takes place on Christmas Eve dinner and is called la Vigilia. The meal is centred around seafood and ends with delicious sweet bread, panettone or pandoro. The traditional dishes however vary from region to region, and if you want to check out any specific recipes or dishes throughout Italy, then this is the right place to whet your appetite. 

Almost 200 years old and perhaps one of the most interesting European traditions, the Italian Zampognari are bagpipe players who dress themselves up as shepherds and go from door to door singing carols and collecting donations. The tradition mainly plays out in the centre and the south of Italy, particularly in Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Puglia, Basilicata and Sicily. 

Next up are the amazing nativity scenes, called presepi, that are put up on just about every corner in Italy. Attending midnight mass on Christmas eve and the “brindisi”, a toast with a Spumante (sparkling wine) are also two common traditions enjoyed all over Italy. 

  A solemn ‘presepe’ displaying the manger, with the figurine of baby Jesus  

Tip: Be sure to check out our list of the best destinations for a winter break in Italy! 

But let's take a break from traditions because we know that there are travellers who want to always do things a little differently! So, if you are one of those, then skiing and relaxing in the famous thermal spas of Italy like Terme in Merano in the Alto Adige region or the Bagni Vecchi di Bormio in Lombardy, is how you should be spending this Christmas season in Italy. Just remember to reserve in advance! 

Merano also has some amazing Christmas markets (there is more information about that in the link to the Christmas Markets below) and the Christmas tradition of Krampus roaming the streets. These ferocious-looking mythical creatures have a favourite activity, that is to scare people out of nowhere, but we hope you don’t get scared that easy. 

Now be it the north of Italy or the south that you would like to spend the holidays, you will find the best holiday homes right here! 

The magical atmoshpere of Val di Fassa ski slopes in the Trentino-Alto-Adige region 

Christmas traditions in Belgium 

Christmas in Belgium looks a lot like the one in France. For example, this part-dutch, part-french country also has the Bûche De Noël (called Kerststronk in Dutch) as one of their main desserts; and the children leave out shoes by the fireplace along with drawings and cookies for Santa Claus.  

Yes, the Belgians have a Santa Claus too and the old man is called Sinterklaas in the country. However, in Belgium, Sinterklaas is accompanied by Zwarte Piet or Sooty Piet, who goes down the chimney to leave presents for the good kids and to take away the bad kids to Spain, where, according to legend, they' have to assist Santa in their workshop for an entire season or longer. 

Some people also keep the advent calendar, with a wreath with four candles, much like the Croatian tradition, signifying the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas Day. It is also common to go to Christmas markets and enjoy hot wine and jenever (a type of Belgian gin). So, if like us, you love Christmas markets too, then do not miss out on these surprising Christmas markets across Europe!  

If you have a sweet tooth, then a Belgian Christmas breakfast is the perfect treat for you to enjoy. The breakfast usually consists of freshly baked rolls, and koffiekoeken (variety of pastries), which is washed down with a cup of coffee. 

Delicious Christmas-themed Belgian waffles with candy canes  

Tip: Beyond celebrating Christmas, you can also make the most of your trip and visit the art city of Knokke for its more than 85 art galleries and unique open-air sculptures. 

You’ll find the holiday home of your choice in Belgium to enjoy waffles and more right here! 

So, where are you headed for the holidays? Our best holiday homes in Europe also await you in mountains, cities, beaches, islands or wherever it is that you want to travel this festive season! And if you did not before, then dive into Christmas traditions from Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Switzerland and Croatia now! 

We wish you a Merry Christmas!