Culture · 03. May 2019

The month of May is the month of "public holidays" in France. But what is “un jour férié"? In case you haven't heard yet, here's a short explanatory video. The video is in easy French, ideal to practice some listening comprehension.

Events · 14. July 2017

The 14th of July in France is a national holiday ! The storming of the Bastille and the French Revolution are celebrated. For the occasion, every French town shoots a beautiful firework display in the sky and organizes popular. But what really happened on July 14, 1789, and why is it celebrated every year since then ? A bit of history… Before 1789, France lived under a regime of absolute monarchy, that is to say, that the king held all the powers, whether legislative, judicial or executive....

Events · 01. May 2017

The Labor Day ? Mmhhh probably invented by the French ! Indeed, French people like to demonstrate and strike so much that we could believe that they are at the origin of the labor day ... Well, not quite !

Events · 01. April 2017

A "poisson d'avril" is a joke made on April 1st. In France, children try to stick a fish picture on their friends' back. When the joke is discovered, they shout "poisson d'avril !"

Events · 08. March 2017

At the beginning of the twentieth century, women of all countries united to defend their rights. The origin of March 8 is anchored in the workers' struggles and the numerous demonstrations of women demanding the right to vote, better working conditions and equality between men and women, which agitated Europe and the Western world, at the beginning of the 20th century. The creation of an "International Women's Day" was first proposed in 1910 by Clara Zetkin, a Russian highly committed...

Culture · 02. February 2017

Every year, in February, we eat pancakes for everyone's pleasure. But, what is exactly Chandeleur, why do people eat crepes that day? And what is the relationship with the word "Chandelle" (candle)?

Culture · 02. January 2017

This year, like each year, French families will mark the end of the festive season by scoffing down a pastry fit for kings, "La Galette des rois". "thelocal.fr", online magazine explain you below the story of this strange tart with a charm !

Events · 18. December 2016

Christmas is coming! The windows are lit up, the Christmas markets grow everywhere, and the streets take on a festive atmosphere. On that special occasion, I propose you to practice your reading skills with a short text and a quizz. Let's discover French traditions in a fun way !

Events · 23. October 2016

On the night of October 31st, some people around the world, mainly in United States and Canada, celebrate Halloween. Children wear costumes and go to peoples' homes saying "Trick or treat!" (understood here as "Give me a treat or I will play a trick on you"). This, is what you may know ! But did you know that originally Halloween was an English and Christian celebration ? That it was simply All Hallows' Eve, also called All Saints' Day or "La veillée de la Toussaint" in French ? Nowadays and...