Most of my life, I spent Easter in Florida with family, attending church services, relaxing at the beach, dyeing eggs, and of course, eating! Living in Europe with my hubby, holidays have a new spin! And, I love it! We go with the flow, and do what we feel.

So, what is Easter like in France? Easter is celebrated all weekend, even on Monday, people spend time with family, cook traditional meals like lamb and other spring items. On Monday (day after Easter), outside of the tourist areas everything is closed. Leading up to the holiday weekend, shop fronts and bakeries are decorated with chocolate rabbits, fish, eggs, bells, and other signs of spring.

There are Easter Egg hunts, chocolates, and colored eggs, but the Easter Bunny is just now becoming popular in France. A common tradition I like, is the cloches volantes, or “flying bells”. So, the story is, no church bells ring between Friday and Easter Sunday morning bc the bells fly to Rome to visit the pope to receive a blessing, then they return with treats for the good kiddos. Cute, right?!

Continue reading “Happy Easter (Joyeuses Pâques) From France”