By Imogen

Le Tour The Tour de France is a huge

cycle race around France. It takes three weeks to

complete. Often the Tour also visits neighbouring countries, such as Belgium or England across the channel. While the cycle race is not a national holiday, many people are given the day off by their employers when the race passes through their town or village.

People line the roads and find the best spot to stand hours before the tour passes. This is because the Caravane arrives before the cyclists.

The Caravan is a publicity convoy about 300 cars.

Lyon Festival of LightThe religious festival was first

celebrated in 1852. The faithful of Lyon wanted to set up a stature of the Virgin Mary on top of a hill. They had already delayed this event because of floods.

On 8 December, everyone lit candles in their homes to celebrate, but a terrible storm threatened. The storm passed quickly and the citizens lit up their homes and the streets. They danced and celebrated. They still do this today.

Celebrating at home in FranceIn France people love

their food. To celebrate a personal event such as a birthday or a wedding, they will spare no money or effort to prepare a grand celebratory meal.

Such meals are also a way of thanking friends and neighbours for their help during the harvest, for example picking grapes.

Family banquets for special occasions such as wedding often take place in peoples own homes.

Christmas Families celebrate Christmas

together with a late and very festive meal on Christmas Eve. Many homes have a Christmas tree in France. Santa Claus is known in France as Pere Noel.

He arrives late at night when young children are already asleep . Pere Noel leaves the gifts next to the tree, in shoes or in Christmas stocking.

Religious people go to midnight mass. The churches are beautiful lit and the bells ring out Christmas carols.

WeddingOn the day of the

wedding the bridegroom picks up his future wife from her home. The bride is dressed in a beautiful white gown and she wears a crown and flowers in her hair.

After the church ceremony guests may shower the bride with rice to wish her many children.