Thursday
Christmas feels like a much more important holiday to miss than Thanksgiving. I really enjoy my family traditions and it felt strange to think I would be missing them for the first time. The preceding weeks hadn’t quite felt like the holiday season I’ve known throughout my life. There was no hustle and bustle through stores blaring White Christmas over the loudspeakers, no rushed trip to Meijer to grab extra tape or paper, no holiday movies on TV. It was kind of a bummer.
I was happy to get out of the house with Mme Bodet in the morning. We left around 8:30 to grab last minute essentials at the store. Our first stop was the boulangerie for fresh bread. Yes, French bread is amazing, but it is necessary to buy it fresh everyday if you want the right texture.
After a 30 minute wait in line, we were off to Grand Frais. This place was amazing! They had the largest selection of fresh fruits and veggies that I’ve ever seen. Their shelves contained so many diverse products that there were many I couldn’t even name. I was able to find some great sauces for Thai dishes I want to make in the future. We went to a few more stores to find mangoes, passion fruit, and Nutella before we headed home.
Mme Bodet asked me to come bake some Christmas cookies with her son and a family friend. I brought my recipe for some Czech desserts along because they were interested in making them together. I had to show them how to use measuring cups during the process because Europeans weigh the mass of their ingredients to be more precise. This was my first time making these desserts without my family and I have to say, I think they turned out pretty well.
I was feeling pretty tired already, so I took a two hour nap at home before the evening festivities. Catherine A arranged for me to attend her family gathering. She told me to wear my best clothes for the evening, because Christmas Eve is traditionally the more formal of the holiday. I wore my nice slacks, my good dress shoes, a new sweater, and a blazer. I felt pretty snazzy. A challenge I’ve consistently faced here is the strict adherence to gender roles. Women are expected to wear dresses in formal occasions. Suits and the like are generally not as acceptable for women. Throughout the evening I received my fair share of side glances and comments. I’m certainly learning to have thicker skin!
One of our hosts for the evening is a professional chef, so everything that graced the table was absolutely delicious. The meal lasted from 7pm to 2:30am. Guests remained seated at the table for the duration. This was a challenge for me. While Americans do have a large meal, it typically does not last this long at the table. We might nibble on snacks or appetizers throughout the night, but generally when we’re walking around the house or seated on the couch.
Our first course included small, light cheeses and sausages. It was followed by smoked salmon and little buttered toasts. Next, the muscles were brought out. Escargot was the next dish to make an appearance. Some of the guests thought I would balk at this, but I let them know that it was actually one of my favorite French dishes. I had the chance to taste it in 2016 when I traveled through Paris. Oysters were the next obstacle in the course. I had never tried these, but Thomas bravely demonstrated, adding vinegar and onions before slurping one down. I did the same, but learned almost immediately I was NOT a fan. Some time passed before another dish came around, but it arrived I saw that it was braised beef. It was cooked to perfection and almost melted in your mouth. Dessert consisted of a variety of 12 cookies and 3 different Christmas Logs.
After dinner, it was time for presents. Unlike many Americans, the French open the majority their presents on Christmas Eve. Everyone set to ripping open their parcels at once. Many people got Disney shirts, there was a lot of jewelry, and plenty of makeup. Our hosts announced they were buying their daughter a puppy that would be ready to pick up in February. I was happy to get a toaster from Catherine, I haven’t had one here.
By the end of the night, I was absolutely exhausted. We walked across the street to Catherine’s apartment and went to sleep.
Mary-Est-En-France 