Easter is celebrated in France just as in so many other countries around the world, even though some traditions may vary.
In France Joyeuses Pâques! means “Happy Easter!”
When French chocolatiers start making their delightfully carved chocolate creations, wonderful displays start appearing in their front shop windows. When this happens, you can expect that Easter is right around the corner.
French chocolate is deliciously smooth and will tickle and tantalize your taste buds for more. This is why the French love eating them.
The delicate chocolate chickens, eggs and fish are filled inside with even more delightful bonbon surprises and they are almost too beautiful to eat.
Chocolates begin to appear in every chocolate store, months before Easter as the French people just adore them… along with chocolate hens, bells with wings and wonderful varieties of friandises. The very first chocolate eggs were produced in France and Germany during the 19th Century.
Easter Traditions in France
The French people have a Fish symbol for their Easter Season, much as the Rabbit is a symbol of Easter in other countries across the world. The French fish is called The Poisson d’Avril or the “ April Fish.” French children love to play at sticking as many paper fish onto the backs of as many unsuspecting adults as possible. The children then run away screaming “Poisson d’Avril!”
Flying Bells
Another French Easter Tradition is the Cloche Volant or Flying Bell.
On Holy Thursday, all the church bells in France are silenced. The legend goes that all the church bells fly to Rome to see the Pope, then on Easter morning the bells return from Rome, just in time to ring out across France declaring the joyous news that Jesus has risen again.
Easter Decorations to Make
Easter traditions around the world
