THIS year, spending Christmas in France can definitely be cold as forecasters have warned of temperatures as low as -5 degrees Celsius. However, don’t let that hamper your vacation and dampen your Christmas mood as France is said to be the most romantic place in the world. Therefore, it is just appropriate to say that it is also one of the sweetest places on Earth to celebrate the birth anniversary of whom Christians call the Messiah.

The Christians are not only the people who are celebrating the season though. There are a few Jewish communities in France and they are also celebrating Hannukah or the Festival of Lights. Hannukah is said to commemorate the win of the Maccabees against their oppressor King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. And also remember that it’s not just the Christians who celebrate New Year here. Even the agnostics, the atheists as well as the Shinto and the Confucianism believers are also celebrating January 1 as the traditional New Year’s Day although understandably so, the Confucian believers and the Muslims have their own liturgical calendars. And there are a lot of minorities here in France, including those that are mentioned earlier. Also, there are a lot of Spanish visitors here in France who is stuck during the Christmas season. Actually, they intentionally stick themselves here. Of course, Spain is lovely but what is even lovelier than spending quality time in another country during Christmas.

The majority of the folks here are Catholics and so there are a lot of Catholic celebrations here during the Christmas season. The most famous Catholic Church in France is located at the nation’s capital in Paris which is a landlocked city. Despite it’s understandably lack of beaches, Paris is beaming in the lights during Christmas season. That includes the Notre Dame Cathedral, the most famous Catholic Church in Paris which has been the subject of many novels and even spawned a children’s book and an animated children’s movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Another Catholic Church worth visiting in Paris is the one named after the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. It is a very unassuming small chapel yet it swells with pilgrims from various Christian countries – including New Zealand and Tonga – especially during the Christmas season.

But if what you want to see is more on the glittering lights, then simply tour Paris. All the structures have glittering lights on them, including Champs Elysees, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, among others. And if what you want is a shopping binge, make sure you have lots of cash in tow. Yet again, even if you have lots of money with you, it is suggested that you take advantage at the lots of discounts retailers in France are offering during Christmas season. It’s the French people’s way of saying thanks to all who have patronized shopping in their country. From duty-free shops to the malls, from garage sales to French online stores, bargain hunting is virtually everywhere. There are even Santa Clauses roaming around malls to emphasize this point.