What makes France so French? We take a look at five French traditions on the UNESCO 'intangible cultural heritage' list
Do 麻豆传媒映画 celebrate their 鈥榤ain鈥� Christmas on December 24 or 25? The Connexion undertook a brief survey to find out
La Chandeleur: February 2 is France鈥檚 national cr锚pe day The tradition of eating cr锚pes on Candlemas is centuries old, although recipes and flavours vary across the country
magazine Greeting kisses in France: 5 regional expressions We look at different terms used for 鈥� se faire la bise 鈥� - the kiss on each cheek which is one of the most widespread greetings in France
Which cheek? How many? The truth about bises in France Website reveals regional differences for common form of greeting
Day 10 French regional Christmas specialities: Beerawecka from Alsace This needs to be baked days ahead if you want it on your table for Christmas
Paris鈥檚 鈥楲ove Lock Bridge鈥� closed for repairs but won鈥檛 deter couples Pont des Arts, which once partially collapsed under the weight of padlocks, is to have rotten planks replaced in the latest chapter of its fascinating history
French mountain farmers keep herding and hospitality traditions alive Culture of transhumance, good food and accommodation is passed down the generations of farmers, known as marcaires
Silk workers weave a spell on Lyon鈥檚 shoppers and tourists We talk to the current generation running one of Lyon鈥檚 oldest silk workshops
French choral revival hits all the right notes The coronation of King Charles III highlighted the rich choral music tradition in the UK
French renovation: Why bricks don鈥檛 deserve 鈥榮econd best鈥� reputation Nick Inman argues that primitive mudbrick constructions could find a new fan base among people looking for more environmentally friendly building practices
Producers stoic as French cheeses fail to make new global top 10 list France鈥檚 proud cheesemaking tradition peaked at just 13th with Reblochon, falling some way behind the dominant Italian classics and one Mexican favourite
Straight to the (needle) point in Alen莽on, France We unpick the history of the Queen of Lace and Lace of Queens in Alen莽on
Discover the espadrille firm using French know-how and Queen鈥檚 face Based in south-west France and still using traditional methods, the company made headlines recently for its offbeat tribute to the British monarch
St Catherine鈥檚 Day: Are there still 鈥楥atherinettes鈥� in France today? The tradition, which sees unmarried women wear a yellow and green hat to reflect their singlehood, now seems somewhat outdated, but still exists in some areas of France
A brief tour of France鈥檚 seasonal cr猫ches and markets Even though Christmas 2020 in France will be an unusual one, seasonal specialities will still continue where possible
Uncertain future for historic Ile-de-France allotments Expanding Paris is threatening gardens which, for over a century, have been oases of green, reports Mike Dili毛n
Brittany: Homebuyers sign contracts accepting country life A new clause in contracts for homebuyers in Morbihan confirms they will accept the sights, sounds and smells of country life
Southern French village cancels all future bullfight events The decision in the village of Verg猫ze in the Gard comes after a bull escaped during the annual festival last year
French MP proposes replacing hunt animals with robot copies Robots could mimic animal behaviour and replace deer and rabbits in hunts to 鈥渆nd animal cruelty,鈥� says MP Damien Adam, a member of President Macron's party.
Bordeaux: Mayor cancels Christmas trees in city The ecologically-minded mayor will not decorate Bordeaux with 鈥渄ead trees鈥� this festive season, he has said, claiming they go against his 鈥渃oncept of re-vegetation鈥� for the city.
Foire aux Vins: Extra discounts on French wine due to Covid The autumn wine fair lasts seven weeks in September and October. Heavy discounts are expected this year as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
Mont d鈥橭r cheese on sale in France from tomorrow The season for eating Mont d鈥橭r cheese starts on September 10. We take a look at the history of this French speciality.
Non! We French shouldn't have to kiss everyone we meet French-British journalist Samantha David argues la bise for all should be consigned to history.
Graffiti artist brightens French streets with tile art A French street artist is brightening up the streets of Rouen (Seine-Maritime, Normandy) by painting tile-like traditional designs onto pavements, to make them 鈥渕ore charming鈥� than the usual concrete.
The history behind Provence's classic sweet treat: calissons Calissons are very popular sweet treats from Provence. Connexion speaks to a notable producer of these oval-shaped, almond-based beauties.
Still life: On-the-road with a trade of France past We meet one of a rare, dying breed of travelling distillers 鈥� or bouilleur de cru 鈥� who are licensed to make moonshine from other people鈥檚 garden produce
France celebrates with traditional galette des rois It is galette des rois season in France, as the country marks Epiphany on January 6, and bakers compete to make the best, most original versions of the popular patisserie.
French village is a real-life Advent calendar Each year a tiny village turns itself into a real-life Advent calendar, with residents opening their doors on a different evening from December 1 to 24 to welcome visitors with drinks and snacks.
P猫re Noel and La Poste launch annual letter service He promises to send a reply to letters received before December 17... after that he'll be a bit busy
Toussaint traditions strong even as grave visits fall Figures show number of young people visiting cemeteries is declining, but sales of traditional flowers remains high
Animal rights groups hit back as MPs attend bullfight Animal rights groups have hit back and reignited a debate over the legality of bullfighting in France after two ministers were seen attending a bullfight in the south of the country.
New name if you take French citizenship People taking French citizenship will be given a new French first name 鈥渢o show they really want to be French鈥� under a proposal by a right-wing MP.
Villagers up with the lark for No毛l des oiseaux Residents of one Grand Est village miss out on their lie-in on December 26 for a special local tradition
French constitution to include environment protection Protecting the environment is set to become part of the constitution after MPs voted in favour of the move.
Less speed, more taste behind Slow Food trend Every edition we assess an aspect of the French zeitgeist. This month: the movement for values in food sourcing, by Jane Hanks
Meet Cyril Genet: a French silk-maker from Lyon Jane Hanks talks to Lyon silk-maker Cyril Genet about the city鈥檚 heritage in the print industry and the skills required to make luxury goods
Make sense of... French Christmas traditions Le P猫re N枚el is known to all French children but in parts of the country he is still rivalled by his ancestor Saint Nicolas.
Limoges porcelain set gifted to new royal baby A set of traditional porcelain pottery from Limoges has been gifted to the British ambassador to France, who is set to present it to the newest British royal baby, Prince Louis of Cambridge.
Macron backs the baguette for World Heritage Status The baguette could soon be granted Unesco World Heritage Status, as President Emmanuel Macron has lent his support to a bakers鈥� campaign to recognise the bread as a national symbol.
Mayor says she will no longer do the 鈥榖ise鈥� She admits to arriving late for meetings so that she can avoid kissing all 73 of her colleagues
Sandy grave helps wine keeps its freshness Vignerons bury barrels under sand in a return to tradition when they sold thousands of bottles to England
I'm dreaming of a French Christmas | Emily Commander NODDY Holder bellowing 鈥業t鈥檚 Christmas!鈥� in every shop, boisterous office parties, carols on the doorstep and turkey with all the trimmings 鈥� memories of a traditional British Christmas will always invoke strong emotions for those who have moved to France.
