0:00Mathieu, are you coming to make the video with me?
0:03Yes. I have prepared a little . a little hat. Wait for it.
0:11Your ears don't fit. You sound like Santa Claus himself. That's it.
0:19Hi everyone, hope you are well. We hope you are well.
0:23We are doing this video today with Mathieu.
0:26We're going to talk about Christmas and New Year's Eve and New Year's Eve too.
0:33I hope you're comfortable, that you're warm.
0:36In Paris, it's really starting to get cold.
0:39So I made myself a little tea to keep warm and comfortable for this video.
0:45I put on my little slippers and off we went Mathieu?
0:49We're off. We will speak as we speak in everyday
0:52life, so it will be in rather colloquial French, everyday language.
0:57If you have difficulty understanding, of
1:00course, feel free to activate the French or English subtitles if you need help.
1:07So already, right next to Elisabeth, you
1:09can see the Christmas tree that we installed a few days ago.
1:13It is too beautiful! And here it is, we decorated it.
1:15We are very, very proud of it. And generally, in France, people put up
1:19their Christmas tree three weeks before Christmas or a month before Christmas.
1:24Is that right? Yes, that's about right.
1:27So on top, you can see, we put balls, we
1:31put garlands, lights and we put a Christmas star on top.
1:37So also, sometimes people put up a nativity scene.
1:42Yes, yes, it's true that people are
1:43setting up nurseries, but it's less and less frequent, I feel.
1:46In the nativity scenes in general, there is the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the
1:51donkey and the ox and we see the wise men arriving I think too.
1:55It's true that at home there were more cribs.
1:58You probably know that I grew up in
2:00Belgium and the Catholic religion is a little more present than in France.
2:04In France, it's secular, so it's true that
2:07in Belgium it's perhaps more common to have nativity scenes?
2:11Maybe, yeah. People put up ub tree in their homes, but
2:16also usually in the cities, every city puts up a big tree.
2:20In our city. It is a giant tree, it is very beautiful.
2:24They put it up long before Christmas.
2:27And also, there are Christmas markets everywhere.
2:30Yes. Then there are also in the trees.
2:33Sometimes there are contests between people or companies or whatever.
2:39We, for example, our janitor, she tries to make the most beautiful tree in the
2:45different buildings and because she is very proud of it.
2:49And so she installs a beautiful tree every
2:51year, she spends a lot of time and energy to have a beautiful tree.
2:55And as a result, when we go downstairs, we have a beautiful tree every time.
2:59Apparently this year it's herself, she crocheted ornaments, like when you knit,
3:06she knitted ornaments for the tree herself.
3:10Yeah. It's true that it's pretty impressive.
3:14They have competitions between the different janitors, it's fun.
3:20And on Christmas markets in general, what kind of food can you find?
3:26In France. On the Christmas markets, there are often pancakes.
3:32Me, I see a lot of sweet pancakes. Pancakes with Nutella and all that.
3:38Love apples. Pomme d'amour, it's more in the fairs. Tartiflettes.
3:43On Christmas markets? Oh yes! You are because you don't like it.
3:54I think your brain doesn't want to. Ah
3:56Yes, on the Christmas markets there are many tartiflettes.
4:00With cheese, reblochon. Yeah, but.
4:03Bacon. Christmas market you have hot chocolate.
4:07Yes that's right, mulled wine too. Mulled wine.
4:09Yes, with spices like cinnamon. And what else is there?
4:13After that there are a lot of stalls where it's selling Christmas gifts or crafts.
4:19Yes, yes.
4:20Yes, you have little jewels, you have little things like that.
4:23Stones too sometimes.
4:25Yes, it is true, very often there are some stones with energies.
4:29Yeah, stones with energy. Bracelets. But you said it, jewelry. Soaps.
4:35Yeah, soaps. Honey, some of the local products. Yes, artisanal.
4:42Yes, afterwards we can also buy a lot of
4:44things that we will eat at Christmas, for example terrine, foie gras.
4:48Yeah, chocolates. Yes, chocolates.
4:50So also, before Christmas, I bought this for Mathieu.
4:54Because I know that I have no chance to
4:57eat it because at 10 o'clock in the morning, it's already eaten.
5:02It's an advent calendar. So there are How many?
5:0624 boxes and we eat a little chocolate every day before Christmas.
5:11It makes you wait a little bit before Christmas arrives.
5:16So this is a Kinder calendar, but almost every brand makes them.
5:21Yes, yes. And even well, when I was a kid, there
5:24were almost only chocolates, but now I see a lot of them.
5:30For example, brands. Beauty product brands.
5:33Who are going to make a forward calendar
5:37where every day you get a little sample of beauty products.
5:42I've seen even big brands, like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, they make calendars and
5:47often it's a bit of a scandal because they're so expensive and in fact it's a
5:52bit Well, there are almost only samples in them.
5:55But it's true that more and more brands are doing that.
5:58I don't know... L'Occitane en Provence, I had seen.
6:02Where it is small creams, small soaps, small perfumes.
6:05There I know there is a bank. So it's Boursorama, which has an advent
6:10calendar with a promotion every day at a merchant who is a partner of the bank.
6:16Ah yes. Yes. So it's also a marketing thing that can be used.
6:21Yes, yes.
6:22And even, there are an awful lot of companies on their Instagram accounts that
6:27will be giving away giveaways all month of December.
6:30Or influencers who partner with brands to run contests all December.
6:35It's true that the advent calendar has really expanded.
6:39Hello. Hi, beautiful, how are you? What's up? Can you hear me?
6:42Yes, are you in a Hellofrench video? Yes, it's perfect, it's great!
6:47It's for Christmas presents.
6:48Yes, it's fine, thank you very much, it's perfect!
6:52The gift Mathieu wanted is apparently out of stock.
6:56But you'll still get presents. I'll get a gift anyway.
7:02Ah yes, we were talking about Christmas markets, that's tartiflettes.
7:05It's also the season for something that
7:07you love, Mathieu, that looks a bit like tartiflettes.
7:09That you make at home with guests. A raclette ?
7:12Raclette. Oh yes, yes yes yes.
7:15Mathieu likes to make raclettes at other people's houses, but not at ours because
7:20he doesn't like the smell to remain in the cushions, in the curtains.
7:25He hates it. So he likes raclettes, but not at our place.
7:28Yes, because we have a small apartment and
7:31so the smell, it remains impregnated everywhere what.
7:35So yes, it's good in other people's homes and not here.
7:40And if you don't know what raclettes are because it's very French.
7:46In fact, we use a device, we'll put the picture for you.
7:51You have like little pans, little frying
7:55pans and in them, generally, we put special cheese for the raclettes.
8:02We put meat from the Grisons, ham and also potatoes.
8:06Sometimes a little bit of mushrooms.
8:09And we heat it up, it melts and then we eat it.
8:12And it's true that it's really something we do in winter, like tartiflette.
8:18Yes, it's very it's friendly. So it's a nice moment. And it's greasy.
8:24It's greasy but it's also comforting.
8:27After that, it's true that it stinks the whole apartment. I love it!
8:33Plus I don't eat meat so I like to put cheese with canned pineapple chunks.
8:40Aahhh Mathieu hates it so the last time, he was
8:44not there, I took the opportunity to do it by myself.
8:47No, but she puts Like the same with the pizzas.
8:50She puts pineapple on the pizzas. Too good. Best pizza.
8:54Well, my Italian father, if he hears this, I think he'll disinherit me but
8:59Still in the preparation of Christmas, there is of course the purchase of gifts.
9:04Well I think you don't see it but for the
9:06moment, there is none under the tree, but I'm still well advanced in my gift buying.
9:12It's just that now that we're out of the health crisis, I wanted to give gifts more
9:18related to experiences than physical gifts, than objects.
9:22I thought it was a little nicer to give activities to do than to give objects.
9:28Because now that we're well we're really hoping to get out of the health crisis.
9:34I thought it was nice to be able to offer activities again.
9:39And where are you with your gifts Mathieu? Did you buy everything?
9:44Yesterday I bought a gift for my sister but otherwise no, I always do it at the
9:49last minute and yeah I really do it in a hurry.
9:53Yeah... No, I haven't done anything yet.
9:55Well, except for a present but otherwise...
9:59I'm fine, I've already I already have for my father, for my brothers, it's good but
10:04I had taken that a long time ago and no frankly it's fine.
10:08Anyway, I have all my ideas, there are a
10:11few things I still have to buy, but otherwise I'm well advanced in my gifts.
10:15There is also something else.
10:17I used to order almost not on the internet, I didn't have this habit at all.
10:23And again, since the health crisis, I got
10:26a little more used to ordering on the internet.
10:29So I still have gifts that are already ordered but that will, that will arrive.
10:34And it's true that shopping in the middle
10:37of the Christmas season is quite difficult.
10:40I mean, people are a bit crazy.
10:43But after shopping in the stores sometimes it's nice because you have the atmosphere,
10:49you have the Christmas atmosphere, you have the little music.
10:53It can be It can be nice, but then there are so many people.
10:56It's true that it's a race, everyone is jostling each other.
11:01It's true that in Is it at Galeries Lafayette where they decorate the windows?
11:05Yeah. Did you see them when you went there?
11:08There were decorations, but I don't remember.
11:10But there was a big tree in the middle of the Galeries Lafayette?
11:12I didn't look hard enough. I don't know if you see The Galeries
11:15Lafayette is one of the department stores of Paris.
11:18It is one of the emblematic stores of the city and it is true that every year, they
11:22make decorations in their window which are magnificent.
11:25There are people who go there just to see the decorations.
11:29And also they put a huge tree in the
11:31center of the store which is very well decorated and it's really nice to see.
11:36Yes, it's very nice.
11:37Yeah, they make very, very nice decorations at Galeries Lafayette.
11:40On preparing for Christmas. I think that.
11:45We've kind of come full circle. Yeah.
11:50So now we're going to move on to Christmas Day.
11:57Can you explain a little about your
11:59family's traditions and how you celebrate it?
12:02Do you celebrate on the 24th, the day before or the 25th? Yeah.
12:06So it's true that there's a debate about that.
12:10Some people celebrate it on the 25th,
12:13others on the 24th and we had the 24th in the evening when we had, we ate well, we
12:20had salmon and everything, and we also opened presents in the evening.
12:25Because here we are, we
12:27I know I was happy when I was a kid to open my presents so I could play directly
12:32afterwards on the console because I often had presents related to video games.
12:37And then after the 25th, I enjoyed the day.
12:40And then I continued to play my games.
12:42But on the 25th, weren't you making a special meal?
12:45So on the 25th There was...
12:46Yeah, we ate a little bit better, but there was no special meal.
12:50It was... How can I put it... It wasn't... There was no second event.
12:54The first event that was linked to
12:56Christmas was the 24th in the evening and then the 25th.
13:00Afterwards, of course, we didn't eat pasta
13:02with butter, but it wasn't We didn't do it like...
13:06like we did on the 24th. And at my house.
13:10So usually on Christmas Eve, on the 24th,
13:15we celebrate with my dad's family and we do it at my grandparents' house.
13:25So that's for the 24th and then at home
13:28it's a bit special because I grew up in Belgium and my dad's family is Italian, so
13:36it's not really a traditional Christmas like in France.
13:41Well, the cake for us was not a log, it was panettone. Oh yes.
13:48But we'll come back later when we'll talk about gastronomy.
13:53And then otherwise, the 25 on the other hand that we celebrated it with my
13:58maternal grandparents and my uncle who is also my godfather and with my cousins.
14:04That was on the 25th at noon, the real Christmas day.
14:08So it's true that we got presents twice.
14:11Oh yes, you had gifts on the 24th and 25th.
14:14Yes, gifts in my father's family on the
14:1724th and in my mother's family on the 25th. You're lucky.
14:22So this year, Mathieu, what are we doing? It's an exceptional year.
14:27We got married in June, so it's true that my mom wanted us all to get together.
14:34Yes, so we're doing a So this is the first
14:37Christmas where my family and her family will celebrate Christmas together.
14:43So, I have a rather small family so it's
14:47limited to a few people and we're all going to Belgium to go to Elisabeth's
14:53family to celebrate Christmas all together.
14:57But it's true that since we got married,
14:59it's more logical to celebrate Christmas all together than each one in his corner.
15:05Yeah. And so Mathieu's dad is going to take the plane from Marseille.
15:09Yes, he was a bit panicked. Probably he'll watch the video so cuckoo!
15:14And indeed to take the plane that, it seemed to him rather How to say...
15:20To be a rather difficult ordeal.
15:23So I took care of booking the ticket, making everything very easy.
15:29And so he just has to go to the airport on the day, get on the plane and then it's
15:35Elizabeth's family who will pick him up and then we all go to Elizabeth's house,
15:41well Elizabeth's family to celebrate Christmas.
15:45Yes, this will also be the occasion.
15:46Did your dad ever come to Belgium? No.
15:48So it's true that it will be an opportunity to show him Belgium.
15:52Well, it's going to be cold compared to Marseille, but I hope that the weather
15:56will still be that it will be nice, but it will be an opportunity.
16:00I think we'll show him Brussels.
16:02It would be nice to go to another city too.
16:04Especially in Brussels the Christmas market, it is really beautiful.
16:09It's very extensive. So I think he will like it.
16:13We're also going to make him eat a lot of Belgian food.
16:17So it will be nice. We are looking forward to it anyway.
16:21Yes, yes, it's going to be good, it's going to be a good time.
16:23Yes, we're going for five days I think, so
16:25it will be an opportunity for him to discover Belgium.
16:27Oh yes, on the other hand there is a
16:29little I forgot to tell you, there is a particularity this year.
16:33Tell me.
16:33In fact as everyone starts to have children who are in a couple and all that.
16:38So we'll do the 24th in the evening and then we'll do the 26th.
16:44Okay. Yes, that's fine.
16:46And on the 25th, I think we can go for a walk in a city that we'll show your dad.
16:51Yes yes, it's more important to be together than to respect the calendar.
16:56The strict schedule.
16:59Now the part you've all been waiting for. The food. Oh yes.
17:06First, we'll tell you what we usually eat at Christmas.
17:09And then, of course, we're going to tell you about the rather traditional dishes.
17:15As Mathieu is a bit picky about food and I
17:18don't eat meat and I grew up in a Belgian-Italian family.
17:22So that's why we're going to tell you what we eat.
17:26And then we're going to tell you the traditional dishes in France.
17:31You Mathieu.
17:32I already hate foie gras, I don't eat foie gras, that's for sure.
17:39But you have to say what you like. Yes, I like salmon very much.
17:43I mean me salmon, I could only eat it with small Round sandwich bread.
17:48What is it? Is it toast? That's right, toast.
17:51Salmon toast without butter, without anything, just the salmon and the toast.
17:57That's really good. After the turkey too, cooked in the oven
18:02with the sauce and everything, that's too good.
18:05That's That for me is perfect.
18:07And then for dessert, just the log, dessert with chocolate or fruit too.
18:14In fact, I am both complicated and uncomplicated.
18:18I mean, I'm just given a little bit of what I like and I'm fine with it.
18:23I don't need to diversify, to try many things.
18:26I have salmon, a little chicken and a
18:29sweet dessert, it's good, I'm the happiest man in the world.
18:35The message has been sent! Yes !
18:38And then In my house, the 24th is usually a pasta starter. Oh, okay.
18:50Because Oh yes, but you never had Christmas at my house?
18:53Oh yes, that's true.
18:55Well, you'll see, because Italians often have primi piatti.
18:59I mean it's It's so good. I like pasta.
19:04So it's either going to be ravioli, cannelloni or baked pasta.
19:09This is often the first course. And then for the main course, we often
19:15have My grandmother, she makes a piece of meat with a vegetable to accompany it.
19:21I don't know what she does anymore Mushrooms sometimes.
19:25And yes, and at the aperitif, we also often she makes mushrooms stuffed with
19:31cheese and small toasts with salmon also she likes.
19:35But we don't eat too much foie gras in my house.
19:37Yeah, well, that's good!
19:38And then for dessert, panettone, often panettone with limoncello.
19:45With lemon cream. And sometimes even frozen logs.
19:51But I don't even know if I've ever eaten a pastry log.
19:55At home, is it a pastry log or an ice cream log?
19:59No, no, it's a frozen log.
20:02But do you like pastry logs? Yes, yes, I like it.
20:04Yes, as long as it's As long as it's sweet! Oh yes. I love it!
20:07There is no risk. Me, on desserts, there is never any risk.
20:10I like everything. And then at my other grandparents' house,
20:16the 25th, it was a little more traditional.
20:20Often they would make turkey or chicken and with side dishes like gratin
20:26dauphinois or little What are those called?
20:30You know, it's little potatoes like that frozen, puffed up a little bit.
20:37Dauphine apples ? Yes, dolphin apples. Green beans a lot.
20:41And also what we like in Belgium.
20:45I don't know if I ever told you, it's applesauce, but hot.
20:50Oh no, you didn't tell me. And also sometimes sauce with cranberries.
20:54But it's the same in France, right?
20:56I think it's not bad to make a little sauce with cranberries.
21:00See, it's red. I don't know if you can see what it is.
21:03It's a red fruit like this. It's a little
21:07I think if I see it, I'll know.
21:09But right now, like this, it doesn't tell me anything.
21:12It's a bit of a sweet and salty mix.
21:14And then, for dessert It's true that very often we ate viennetta.
21:18I don't even know if it exists in France. Do you know what it is? No.
21:23I'll put a picture for you.
21:25It's like a frozen log, but I wonder if you can't get them even year round.
21:30It is Frankly, it's very industrial, but
21:32it's very good because I have this memory of when I was a child.
21:37Yes. Yes, often our memories bias things a bit
21:40because We often have the impression that what we ate was very very good.
21:44And in fact, when we taste it again, I don't know...
21:4715 or 20 years later we are disappointed,
21:49we say "ah finally it was not so good as that".
21:53Yes, or we find it very good, but only
21:56because it is the memory and not the real taste of the product.
22:00And in any case this year, my mom told me that it would be turkey.
22:06Perfect. I don't know what I would eat but
22:13You can have a little green salad! With little carrots.
22:18With a vinaigrette and salt and pepper, something really festive.
22:25After that, what we usually do for New Year's is something we both like.
22:31It's baked fish. We go to the fish store and buy a nice whole fish.
22:38Sea bass or sea bream, and we bake it. And it's delicious.
22:44It's true that we often do this when it's for the New Year.
22:47Yes, yes, yes. Yes, it's easy to make and it's very good.
22:52So it's really the perfect combo. Yes.
22:56And about the food, now we are going to
22:59talk to you a little bit about what is rather traditional in France.
23:04The main course is often either turkey or capon. Yes. Yeah, capon.
23:09When I was a kid, I ate it at my
23:11grandparents' house and it was really good.
23:15But I didn't know. In doing some research for the video, did
23:17you know that it's actually rooster the capon? No.
23:20Well, the turkey is the girl and the capon is the rooster.
23:28Yeah the capon is really good. I've never eaten it, but in fact I
23:32discovered that it even existed by watching series in France.
23:35It's in "Plus belle la vie" I think, where I had seen for the Christmas meal that
23:39they were eating capon because in Belgium I never saw that.
23:42But I know that where I grew up, in the
23:45south, my grandparents often made this for Christmas.
23:48I had forgotten, now you make me think of
23:51it and it's true that it was very very good.
23:54It's softer than turkey, right? Yeah.
23:57But I think the turkey, sometimes people
23:59say it's a little dry and the capon apparently, it's hyper Much juicier.
24:03But I think it's very expensive though. Oh yeah, I don't know.
24:06I think it's very expensive, but we'll have to see.
24:09But anyway, it's good to think about it because I really want to eat it one day.
24:14A capon is huge! You can't take a capon for yourself.
24:18No, it's true that it's huge. But in it they put what? Chestnuts?
24:22Yes, there was Yes, it was stuffed but I don't know what it was.
24:27But yes, sometimes it's stuffed with foie gras, right?
24:29Yes, it can be stuffed with foie gras, but that's not good.
24:33You don't like it.
24:33You can't say it's not good, you have to say I don't like it.
24:36You're right, it's true.
24:37We often say this to children when they eat something and they say "ah it's not
24:41good", the parents take them back and say you can't say it's not good.
24:45You have to say I don't like it.
24:47Because it's not to your taste, but that's not why it's bad.
24:51That's right. You find a lot of bad stuff.
24:53Yes, yes, no, I'm complicated. But Foie gras is really difficult.
24:59Well, I've never eaten them, I think.
25:01And of course, oysters, for the end of year celebrations, for Christmas and New
25:06Year's Eve, they are really one of the main products.
25:09Yes, yes, that's the basis of the thing.
25:11It's true that a lot of people eat oysters for Christmas.
25:13But you don't like it. I don't like it either. I don't like it either.
25:16I tasted it for the first time, maybe I was still in Brussels, so it was maybe 8
25:20years ago and I finally remember, my friends said "come on, try it!
25:24"And really, I put it in my mouth and I
25:27couldn't swallow the oyster and I thought nobody was watching me.
25:31And I really spit it back into the shell.
25:33Except, of course, everyone had seen me, so everyone laughed at me.
25:38But no, it's not for me.
25:40And every year, in December, I have lots of girlfriends who suggest that I go to
25:45bars that specialize in oysters to drink a little wine, white wine and oysters.
25:51And already I hate white wine too. But I can't eat oysters.
25:57So I'd rather stay at home with Mathieu than have to eat oysters.
26:03Otherwise, well the foie gras, we said it. Chestnuts.
26:07I love it, I love it!
26:08And there's something quite fun about vocabulary.
26:12You know that, right? That chestnuts aren't really chestnuts. No ?
26:18In fact, there are chestnuts and sweet
26:21chestnuts which are two different fruits and in reality, chestnuts are poisonous.
26:27If you eat a chestnut you die! Well you die, I exaggerate.
26:32But it is toxic for the human being. And what we eat are chestnuts.
26:37But we call them chestnuts in the kitchen.
26:41We say glazed chestnuts, hot chestnuts.
26:44But in reality, we are talking about chestnuts and not real chestnuts.
26:49Here it is. Well listen, thank you for this particular course.
26:54But yes, I know because when I was a
26:56child, we used to go with my grandfather to pick chestnuts and cook them.
27:01In the oven and it's so good.
27:03I know you don't like it. Yeah, I don't really like it. I love them.
27:05We cook them, we cut a little with the knife so that they don't explode in the
27:09oven and we cook them in the oven afterwards, it's all hot.
27:12It's really good, it's grilled, I like it too much.
27:19There's that, then there's what else? The truffle. The truffle, yeah.
27:23The truffle is really I'm very happy because I really like it.
27:28But it's true that it's expensive.
27:30But every year, in the supermarkets, you can find dishes flavored with truffles.
27:36Here, I bought some truffle ravioli. I also bought you didn't see it.
27:40A puree flavored with truffle. Ah, you saw it!
27:42Because Mathieu hates mashed potatoes.
27:45The truffle, it's true that there are many
27:47things, but even mushrooms in general for Christmas, a little chanterelle.
27:52Yes, that's good. But the truffle too, in fact. Do you like truffles?
27:56In fact, I like truffles, but when there is just a little truffle aroma.
28:00When it's too heavy, I don't like it. Yeah, me neither.
28:03When it's too much, it's kind of sickening.
28:05It smells a little like gasoline. It's sickening.
28:08Yes, I can't take truffle pizza or truffle pasta either.
28:13I really can't. With a sauce, cream, it is quickly disgusting.
28:18And then We haven't talked about drinks,
28:21but for the end of the year celebrations, it's champagne.
28:26Yes, champagne! Sometimes wine too. Yes, the wine.
28:33Then waitThere's the champagne. Yes, it's really the drink.
28:37Yes, champagne is the basic drink for the aperitif.
28:41When the meal opens. Yes, it is sure that it starts with champagne.
28:46Besides, we don't have any champagne flutes. No.
28:49On the food, I think we're a little bit out of the loop.
28:54Yes. Now the gifts. Gifts.
28:57We talked a little bit about it earlier where we were in the gift buying.
29:01So can you explain a little bit? Because I have a little problem.
29:05Well, I don't have a little problem
29:08In Belgium, it's a lot of Saint-Nicolas
29:12for the children's gifts, it's really Saint-Nicolas and less Santa Claus.
29:18Okay.
29:19So it's true that I have more Well, in Belgium and I think even in Lorraine, in
29:24the north of France, it's a lot of Saint-Nicolas too.
29:27And in France it's really Santa Claus.
29:30Can you tell us a little bit about how it goes?
29:34If you have to wear I don't know, shoes the night before?
29:38Socks? How does it work? How do you send your list to Santa? Oh yes.
29:43How do they do it? How do the children do it?
29:45You write your letter to Santa when you're a kid.
29:48And in fact, it's funny because the French
29:52post office has a system where if you write "le Père Noël" well, they actually
29:58collect everything and send it to a destination
30:02Everything is done to really make the children believe
30:05Ah, they say no? And there are answers too I think yeah.
30:09Oh yeah, it's so cool that they're doing this. Yes, there is that.
30:12Afterwards, obviously, it's business, but afterwards
30:18I remember that in my time, there were
30:21telephone services where you could talk to Santa Claus and of course it cost It cost
30:27I don't know how much, but it was around 0.
30:3030€ for a minute and they made the thing
30:33last by saying "can you repeat the gifts you would like to have?
30:37And everything. And that meant huge phone bills for the parents.
30:43Have you called yet? And I called often and in fact it was
30:46because I called too much that I was told that in fact Santa Claus.
30:51And because it was expensive in the end.
30:54And so there's this, so you make your list, you say, I'd like this, this, this.
31:01And then, in general, we had a part of the
31:04list, I had a part, and then there are some who have the whole list.
31:08Afterwards, it depends on whether they were wise or not.
31:13And also the means of the parents. Yes.
31:16If they have been good and if their parents are rich.
31:18That's it, you have to be rich. So what happens after the day itself?
31:22Well it's true that there are some who will really pay attention to traditions.
31:27We didn't have to worry about socks or anything.
31:32It was On the evening of the 24th, we had presents under the tree.
31:40So the presents, we thought that it was
31:42Santa Claus who had brought them in the meantime, we don't know when.
31:45But it's true that in some families, it's more developed, we'll say.
31:49The children go to bed. Of course, Santa Claus comes by at that
31:53time and then they wake up the next day and there are all the presents.
31:57There are several organizations that are
32:00done, but in my case, it was more an organization of the 24th in the evening
32:04with Santa Claus who passed like that in emergency.
32:07Yes, it can't go everywhere at once. It is strong eh.
32:13He is obliged to dispatch.
32:14In some families he has to come on the 24th and in others on the 25th.
32:18Yes, that's it. That's why. So we didn't go on the 24th anymore.
32:22And apart from that, no.
32:24Then there's also I know that in supermarkets, it's always business, but...
32:29There are Santas who come to take pictures with the children so that at the same time
32:35the parents buy presents here, well in the place where there is Santa Claus.
32:41So there's a whole business around that in France too.
32:44Yes, we have that, but with Saint Nicholas more.
32:47There are a few Santas, but St.
32:49Nicholas, as I said, is really the flagship holiday.
32:51And there was When I was a kid, so I guess it's still the same.
32:54But there was St. Nicholas everywhere.
32:57In supermarkets, in fast food restaurants, at Quick, at McDonald's, there was St.
33:03Nicholas.
33:04And by the way, I can tell you an anecdote about Saint Nicholas.
33:07You know what I'll tell? When my parents, they made a mistake? No.
33:12But if you know her. I think I know it.
33:14But go ahead and say it and it will come back to me.
33:18My parents, they worked for well they still work for the state.
33:23And so every year, the public services organized a big St.
33:28Nicholas party for the children of the
33:31employees and we would come and get a present.
33:36And thus they rented a huge room in
33:38Brussels where all the children were there, we received a small gift, here is.
33:44And so, on the planned day, we go by car.
33:47My parents, they lived at 1 hour of Brussels. We made the trip by car.
33:52I do not know how old I was. Four - five years.
33:57Sorry if I'm wrong, I think they'll watch the video.
34:00And when we get there, we want to open the
34:03doors of the building and everything was locked.
34:06And so there, my parents realized that they had the wrong date.
34:10But when you promise your child, your child of I don't know four years old, that
34:15you are going to see Saint Nicolas and that you are going to get presents, when
34:21you arrive and everything is closed, the child becomes a little crazy.
34:25So we had to drive for another hour and
34:28they took me to Quick, which is a Belgian fast food restaurant.
34:36They took me to Quick and Saint-Nicolas was there.
34:40And so they told me "you understand, he
34:44couldn't be in Brussels and at the same time at the Quick in Namur".
34:50So the city where we come from. So obviously, I understood.
34:56Yes, yes, you actually thought it was normal that it was closed what.
35:00I thought it was normal.
35:02They took advantage of my naivety and innocence to trick me.
35:07And for and to get their mistake across.
35:11It's a cute story. That's okay.
35:14I remember, you told me about it not long ago.
35:16It's a good story. Because in fact, it has left such an
35:19impression on me that in my head, I think it's because my parents told me.
35:23I have a memory of my parents trying to
35:25open this door in the building and they can't and seeing their faces decomposed.
35:29But I think it's just I recreated the memory in my head.
35:33So there you go. So that was a little aside about St.
35:37Nicholas who is very popular in Belgium
35:39and in other countries also in the Netherlands.
35:42I think in Romania too.
35:45I know that in France, I was surprised when we met in France that you talked to
35:50me about Saint Nicolas and not so much about Santa Claus.
35:54I really thought that in Belgium, it was Santa Claus like in France.
35:59And in fact no, it's well, it surprised me.
36:03Well, at Christmas, children get a very small gift, but it's true that when I was
36:09a child, we didn't talk too much about Santa Claus.
36:13In France it is Saint-Nicolas, except in the North perhaps.
36:17Yes in Lorraine. But where I grew up, in the south.
36:20Even in the schools I went to, we never talked about it.
36:23It was really Santa Claus.
36:25It was the main event, it was Christmas, it was not St.
36:28Nicholas at all. But then, I think that St.
36:30Nicholas is really linked to It's religious.
36:33Whereas Santa Claus is more of a commercial holiday.
36:37It's kind of made up. Yeah. Yeah, it's more the Coke thing.
36:41It's like Valentine's Day.
36:43On the subject of gifts, do you all give gifts to each other at home?
36:49Everyone gives a gift to everyone else. Yes.
36:52Because I know there are families where they do a "Secret Santa".
36:57So they draw a person in the family and
37:01they have to give a gift just to that person.
37:05So that we don't have an accumulation of
37:08gifts or so that everyone has to spend money for everyone.
37:13But then, as in small families.
37:15Yes, it's true that we have a very small
37:17family, so it's true that if we did that, in the end there would be nothing.
37:22So yes, we all make gifts for each other.
37:26And also the "secret Santa", I don't know how they call it in French, but in Belgium
37:32they say "faire une cacahuète" like the fruit.
37:35A peanut is called to make a peanut. In France I never heard.
37:40But in France, we say Secret Santa, we say it in English, right?
37:42Well yes, maybe, some people say the secret Santa, but well, I guess it's more
37:47in Quebec that we would say something like that.
37:50But in France the "secret Santa" was made at work.
37:53Yes, at work, it happens a lot. In groups of friends too. Yes.
37:57I've done it at school itself. And yes, at work we had done it.
38:00But it's true that it's fun.
38:02But then sometimes you run into people either you don't really know or you don't
38:07like very much because there are always colleagues you don't like as much.
38:12I have a friend there, she fell She works
38:15for a big media in France and she fell on the boss of the channel.
38:21It's true that she didn't know what to do.
38:25She didn't know what to buy. It's a bit tricky.
38:29And especially often in the " secret Santa" one fixes a sum.
38:35Yes. It is a gift of 5 €, 10 €, 15 € depending
38:39on If it's at work, it's more like 5 or 10 €.
38:42I had already done it when I was a
38:44journalist, I worked in a small editorial office in Brussels.
38:49And it was 1 euro I think, we said. 1 € ? 1 euro is a bit difficult.
38:55So I know someone had received canned ratatouille or things like that.
39:001 € it's true that I don't see what you can offer 1 €.
39:02Then you have to do it yourself... You have to...
39:05And I don't even remember, I don't even remember what I did.
39:09Yeah, it could be something you do though.
39:12Yes, I think, one of my colleagues, she
39:14had made cookies that she had put in a Not a box, but a jar.
39:20Yes, it's true that it's not so bad
39:23because at least it forces you to really produce something.
39:27Whereas if you have a lot of money, you go on Amazon, or another site and then you
39:32take it and then you don't really ask yourself any questions.
39:36But if you have a very limited budget.
39:39But it's true that it really forces you to To rack your brains.
39:47Yes it was fun to do that at work.
39:49What about presents, what did you ask for?
39:52What did you ask Santa for this year?
39:54So Well, it's true that for Christmas, I'm always...
39:58Well, I'm not simple because as soon as I want something, I buy it.
40:03As soon as I want something, I go on a
40:05website, I buy it, I don't really give time to the desire to be born, whereas
40:10when I was little, it's true that we are not independent.
40:14So I wanted a video game, I had to wait two months, three months to get it.
40:19And now it's not the case anymore.
40:22So it's very complicated to get something. In addition to the clothes.
40:27I'm still, I'm not simple, there are few things I like.
40:31Well, I'm not I myself am not a gift. If you are the best gift!
40:39And so what I asked for for Christmas this
40:41year was a pair of running shorts because I'm running a lot right now.
40:48I'm preparing the Paris Marathon I did
40:50several marathons before so I wanted to get back into it because it's been a lot
40:54of years, it's been seven or eight years since I really ran.
40:57I have not really run, that is to say I have done long races and so I am doing the
41:01Paris 2023 marathon and so I am preparing myself.
41:04And now in Paris it's quite cold and I need to wear shorts to be able to continue
41:11running even when it's zero degrees or negative temperatures.
41:16So that's what I asked for. What else did you ask?
41:22I didn't ask for anything else.
41:24Didn't your sister and father ask you anything? No. No, I didn't ask.
41:32Afterwards, someone asked me for a plant. Oh yes, I did.
41:37It's true that we don't really have a green thumb. Oh yes, we do.
41:40The green thumb, in French, when we say
41:43that, it means that we are not gifted with plants.
41:47So as soon as a plant enters our apartment. It dies. She dies.
41:51Almost instantly. However, frankly, we are careful, we will
41:56water it, we will try not to water it too much.
42:00We follow the standards of what to do, but the plants, they all die.
42:05It's true that it's incredible.
42:08So there, we said to ourselves, come on,
42:10this time we will take maybe, a big plant, almost a tree.
42:14To be sure. Quite robust. Well, let's see.
42:18By the way, maybe in the background, just
42:21behind me there, you can see maybe a plant that is at the end of its life.
42:26And well, we'll probably
42:30The worst thing is that we have a lot of pots.
42:32Because we still keep the pots after the plants have died.
42:35And so in fact, when we see the number of
42:37pots we have, we know the number of plants that died because of us.
42:40And frankly we laugh but we are not proud. No is not proud.
42:44We're not proud. We asked that, what did we ask?
42:49Oh yes, we asked for a plaid too for I forgot to ask. I have to write.
42:55So if you look, we are going to buy a
42:58plaid, a plaid to protect the sofa because we are going to adopt a little dog and so
43:05it will be new for us and we will try to protect the stuff as much as possible.
43:12I already had a lot of dogs when I was
43:14little and so here in an apartment, so it's the first time we're going to have a
43:19dog in an apartment, so we're quite careful.
43:22First of all, don't leave things lying
43:24around on the floor so that he doesn't eat them, so that he doesn't choke on them.
43:28And also to protect the furniture a little bit.
43:31So we're going to put a little plaid on
43:34the couch so it doesn't scratch the leather.
43:37Because that would be a shame.
43:39It would be a shame if he destroyed everything.
43:42But he's a little dog so I think that's going to be okay.
43:46We're really excited. We'll show you when we get it.
43:50He is super handsome. He is a little fat but he is beautiful.
43:56He is not fat. No, he's fat for his race but otherwise he's not fat.
44:01In absolute terms, he's 10 pounds, right?
44:05Yes, in fact it's a I think we'll make a video dedicated to this little dog.
44:12We'll explain why it's so big. Yes, it is true that there is a story
44:17around that and so we reserve you on a next video with the dog.
44:22With the dog. Why is it too big at three kilos three?
44:27Here we are, after what else is there as a gift?
44:28Well, no, there's plaid. Plants and you?
44:35Me, wait I come to see my small list that I sent.
44:39I made a list and I put a lot of things in it so that my parents and my brothers can
44:46choose according to their tastes and that it remains a little surprise.
44:53In it I had put a book that I want to read. I think you might like it.
44:58It's about I think it's about someone who was on reality TV and then got into
45:03YouTube and kind of how she exposed her kids.
45:07It's a bit of a thriller I think. But is this a true story?
45:11No, no, it's not a true story. It is a fiction ofIt's a fiction, yeah.
45:15I asked, well on my list rather. I put a book by You'll hate it.
45:20Recipes for making soups. Oh, okay. Yeah.
45:26There was a bag I had seen, that I like,
45:28that I've been looking at for quite some time.
45:32Blank photo albums so we can put our wedding photos in them.
45:37We still haven't done either the wedding photo album or the honeymoon photo album.
45:43Besides, there is a video We are waiting for a video of the wedding.
45:46Yes, we are still waiting for a video of the wedding.
45:50I put in the list a puzzle with a nice illustration.
45:55A phone case with a cord like this is easy.
45:58I can put it around me and no one steals my phone.
46:03Also, we had put an engraved dog tag. Yes.
46:07Oh yes, that's right. With his name and our phone number.
46:10That way, if he gets lost, we hope to get a call.
46:14Yes, that's a few gifts though.
46:15It was a bit of a suggestion, it gave me some ideas because my brother said if you
46:20don't give me an idea, I'm going to buy something stupid and that will be stupid.
46:26I should also be able to think about how to simplify people's lives.
46:33In fact, I think you have to write it down
46:35a little bit as the year goes on once you get an idea.
46:40Yeah yeah. Then yeah, I'm still
46:41Yes, you buy directly because you need it at the moment. Yeah.
46:44Yes, to run, I bought my water bottles, my stuff.
46:47But it's true that I could have waited a bit.
46:49And sometimes I see a promotion or
46:51something and I say okay, I'll take it right away.
46:53Well yes, there was Black Friday too, there were things I had to buy and I
47:00wanted to buy them at that time because it was 30% cheaper.
47:05There is also the oven that we could have bought.
47:07But after the oven, if you got it as a Christmas present.
47:08Yes, we got the oven as a gift.
47:10In fact, one day, without any warning, we
47:12wanted to turn on our oven and it blew up all the fuses in the apartment.
47:17So the electricity went out.
47:20Besides, we forgot to turn on the electricity.
47:23Well, no. We put it back. Otherwise it wouldn't work.
47:30Did you put it back? Yes. Oh wow! But why?
47:34Ah yes, the fridge! I was afraid of the fridge.
47:36Oh yes! No no, I put it back. Okay, sorry.
47:39And yes, we had When we went to the United
47:41States, we had cut off the electricity and so our fridge was...
47:46Oh yes. I was thinking about that. It was very very very complicated.
47:51The fridge and freezer. Three weeks, no electricity.
47:55It was the San Diego Zoo when we got back.
47:59We'd rather not talk about it.
48:01We'll talk about it on maybe a next video.
48:04Yes, no, we won't talk about it! And what did we say? Oh yes, an oven.
48:09So yes, it was my grandfather's Christmas present because our oven blows out the
48:15electricity, so we couldn't use it anymore. I tried to clean it.
48:20I tried to do a lot of things and unfortunately it doesn't work anymore.
48:25There was a way to fix it.
48:27In fact, you need a whole device to test all the resistors and everything.
48:32It's a device we don't have. And the oven was old.
48:35The oven is very old. We thought, well, we have to replace the
48:38part, it will cost us I don't know how much and maybe it won't work.
48:42So we took the easy way out and bought a
48:45new oven, so that we would have peace of mind when it came to promotions and could
48:49start again with a ten or fifteen year old oven.
48:53Keeping your fingers crossed.
48:54And last topic of the video, we're going to talk about the New Year.
49:00So we've talked a lot about Christmas.
49:04After all the gastronomy, food, it's quite
49:07similar what we eat for the New Year compared to what we eat at Christmas.
49:14But more in the traditions. There are some that are different.
49:20For example, the kiss under the mistletoe. Oh yes!
49:25Yes, yes, the kiss under the mistletoe that brings good luck if you do what.
49:32So for We hang a sprig of mistletoe. That's it, it's mistletoe, right?
49:39Ah oops, there is a light that has failed.
49:41It's ok, I think you can still see us well. Yes, you see us anyway.
49:47The tradition is to hang a sprig of mistletoe and to kiss under it.
49:54Finally that we kiss, finally with the person we love.
50:00The people we love yes yes.
50:02We kiss each other on the mouth and it brings good luck for the coming year.
50:06This is one of the traditions of the New Year.
50:09Also of course, to celebrate it on the 31st.
50:14Often we have a party, then we count 10, 9, 8 3, 2, 1. Happy New Year!
50:27And every year, it must be the same in every country.
50:30The telephone network is saturated because everybody tries to call each other at 00:
50:3701 to wish each other a happy new year and best wishes.
50:41But I think that now it's not so much the case.
50:42No, I think now it's less so.
50:44Because now you can send messages on WhatsApp or messages on Facebook whereas
50:49before it was all on the SMS network, the phone network and now it's scattered in
50:54the data and everything, I think there is no more that
50:58It's true, you're right, it's more when we were young. Yes.
51:03And then for New Year's Eve, unlike Christmas, New Year's Eve is more with
51:08friends, while Christmas is more with family in general.
51:12Yes, yes, yes.
51:13So people either organize small meals at home or go to a restaurant.
51:18It's true that a lot of restaurants have special menus for the New Year.
51:23When I was a kid, I loved it.
51:25I used to go with my grandparents sometimes.
51:29Well, there's no light at all. We hope you see us, but I think you do.
51:34You see a changing light.
51:35But do you want me to turn on the light there? No, but it's okay!
51:39No, no, don't worry.
51:40And it's true that I loved going to restaurants with my grandparents.
51:44And because, from a certain hour, the tables were moved, they put music and we
51:49danced on the dance of the ducks and the caterpillar which starts again.
51:55But today, I still have friends who
51:57sometimes go to nightclubs for New Year's Eve.
52:00It's true that it's not really our style because you don't go to nightclubs.
52:05No, that's not my style. And I actually find that you can go there
52:09every day of the year and that day, I find it too full.
52:14There are too many people. Yes, then in addition in these events.
52:20In general, the prices are inflated. It costs much, much more.
52:27And so we might as well do something between us and go to another venue.
52:34But it's true that sometimes they abuse the prices a bit.
52:38And we this year, for the New Year, we welcome my best friend, her companion and
52:46the son-in-law of my best friend, therefore the son of her companion.
52:53And he's going to see the little dog. So we hope that
52:56Yes we love him very much and he's going
52:58to be six so I think we're going to have a lot of fun.
53:01The five of us are going to spend New
53:03Year's Eve here and it's going to be a lot of fun.
53:06Yeah, totally. Yeah, I think we're going to make some
53:10good food, have a good drink, we can play some games.
53:13Yes, yes, we have little games as well.
53:16To play with the little one, it will be great.
53:20But we don't like We don't like to go out
53:25that day, we prefer to do it at home, quiet.
53:30Yes, then there's a I think there is also a... How to put it.
53:35It depends on the age too. There is a time for everything.
53:40And it's true that when I was younger, I was perhaps more motivated to go outside.
53:47Still, it was only average. But now it's dead.
53:51I really prefer to stay here.
53:53Yes, but even I frankly, even though I liked going out a lot.
53:56I never liked New Year's Eve because every
53:58time there were too many people everywhere.
54:00And afterwards, I think we can watch the fireworks.
54:03Yes. Maybe, we can go to the park.
54:06Actually, there's a park in our city where
54:09there's a great view of the Eiffel Tower, but it's pretty far away and it's secluded
54:15so I don't think there will be too many people. Yes, it's true.
54:20It can be nice to watch the fireworks from the Eiffel Tower normally.
54:25Yes, so it's true that this is a good idea. Completely.
54:30After, on the good year, generally in France, we can wish it until January 31.
54:36That's what we say. Yes, the whole month, January.
54:39Happy New Year, yes you can tell when you meet people.
54:41A happy new year, best wishes. Happy New Year, best wishes.
54:44Finally all this is said without any problem.
54:47In emails too. Happy New Year! We can.
54:49Yes we say the tradition is you can wish until January 31.
54:53After me I find that after the 20th.
54:56Yes, it's true that it's a bit late. It's a little late.
54:58Once the galette des rois is over, it's a
55:01little late to wish I love the galette des rois I can't wait.
55:06Yes, that's good. We love that.
55:08Both of us love to make the cake with frangipane.
55:11That we like very much. Yes. I love frangipane.
55:16There, we talked a lot together, we spent a good hour.