Graham & Brenda Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Having justs sent off all our British cards we are in a dilemma as to when is the correct time to send cards to French friends. Do they expect them before Christmas or between then and New Year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 The French basically don't send greetings cards at this time of year in the way that the British do. Possibly because most of them can't spell or perhaps just because they are too tightfisted. This explains the lack of cards in shops. Even worse is the almost total lack of charity cards here but the French aren't known for supporting charities either, unless it's the one that begins at home and involves buying trolley-loads of food that probably won't get eaten.I bought my charity cards online from the UK: half the price of equivalent French cards (which are hideous and often aren't even overprinted with a charity logo) and delivered in just 3 days.Anyway, if you do send a card here it should be to wish health and happiness for the new year and you should not do this before the new year starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Absolutely, New Years' cards are sent in the New Year, and exclusively to those who one cannot greet in person... although people are usually pleased to be introduced to the English custom by absentee new neighbours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 "Anyway, if you do send a card here it should be to wish health and happiness for the new year and you should not do this before the new year starts."We send a Christmas card to our neighbours and they send a New Year card to us. We both seem satisfied at that arrangement, and so far have not been informed by the authorities that we have broken any rules. Certainly no punishment or disapprobation has been meted out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRT17 Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 We send Christmas cards to our English friends in France and New Year cards to our French friends in France. This seems to be an excellent way of keeping in touch with the friends we don't see during the winter months. Needless to say we are always delighted to receive cards and news from all of them.Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 The original question was asking what the French do and they send "best wishes" cards after the start of the new year to people they won't see personally.No Frenchman is going to shoot his British neighbour for sending him a Christmas card: he will just put it down to a surfeit of "le pudding" or the combination of marmalade and beef. (They really believe that one though they are in fact referring to mint jelly and lamb.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpprh Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 HiI'm always late with Xmas cards.But I add the words "this is not a late Xmas card, it is a traditional French new years greeting card"Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 [quote]The French basically don't send greetings cards at this time of year in the way that the British do. Possibly because most of them can't spell or perhaps just because they are too tightfisted. This ex...[/quote]"Possibly because most of them can't spell or perhaps just because they are too tightfisted" Glad to see the spirit of Christmas shining through from the Brits, no wonder the French love us I bet your postbag is going to be full up with good wishes from your French neighbours. The French do not send cards to each other much and the standard is not very good , but this is because they have a community and family based culture and actually VISIT family and friends at Christmas rather than writing cards to people they see everyday of the year. But it is our culture to send cards and if you want to send a card to your French neighbours, go ahead, but better still pop in and see them with a few mincepies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 [quote]Having justs sent off all our British cards we are in a dilemma as to when is the correct time to send cards to French friends. Do they expect them before Christmas or between then and New Year?[/quote]For the past few years - living in the UK - we've sent Christmas cards to friends and neighbours in France, knowing that it isn't a French tradition but feeling (illogically!) mean if we don't do it. It does seem to be very much appreciated and we've always been thanked subsequently. This is our first year permanently in France so we *won't* be sending out cards locally but we are planning to see everyone by new year. It's a good excuse for socialising. Carole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 [quote]The French basically don't send greetings cards at this time of year in the way that the British do. Possibly because most of them can't spell or perhaps just because they are too tightfisted. This ex...[/quote]Mazan, I'm so glad to see you back. You've just given me a good laugh on a very dull day and, as always, hit the nail on the head.Liz (29) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 [quote]Mazan, I'm so glad to see you back. You've just given me a good laugh on a very dull day and, as always, hit the nail on the head.Liz (29)[/quote]A good laugh???So you find a post that labels the French as tight fisted and illiterate amusing do you Liz? Pehaps you can share the joke or explain what is funny about such a ill informed, racist and bigotted attitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 >ill informed, racist and bigottedYou seem to share the French lack of humour and inability to take criticism.As far as I know the French aren't a race apart (though they might think so) and so I really can't be accused of racism.Ill-informed? Having lived here for 30 years and kept my eyes and ears mostly open during that time, I doubt it.Bigotted? Humbug! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Ah! First the insult, then "But I was only joking."How many times did I deal with that when teaching 12-year olds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 >Ah! First the insult, then "But I was >only joking." How many times did I deal >with that when teaching 12-year olds...A shame that you fail to make it clear who and what you are talking about. That must be a teaching thing.The only insults that I see in this thread are the ones directed at me: namely "bigotted, ill-informed and racist". About as personally insulting as one could wish, and largely inaccurate to boot, as one might have expected a teacher to notice and point out. Though I don't suppose that accuracy has any place in teaching these days. Political correctness has had priority over learning and facts in the classroom for many years and this is reflected in the generally dire nature of UK and French youth today. Somehow I don't think that I would care to admit to being a teacher.And I didn't say "I was only joking" either. I wasn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 It was referring to your original comment and then saying that those who found the racism offensive had no sense of humour, and after this outburst I don't think I would admit to being you...And don't bang the old 'political correctness' drum - we all know what that means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 I did not find Maxan's post funny at all and it is insulting to now try and hide such a poor attitude to ones hosts and neighbours in the form of humour. If you do not think the French are a race apart why brand them as tightfisted and illiterate in the first place?I have found my French neighbours, intelligent generous and warm hearted more than I could say about Marzan. If marzan thinks his post it so funny, print it out and post it on the noticeboard of your Marie, assuming hat you do actually live in France, I bet the French will really find your views really really funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 I laughed at Mazan's post, because it just read to me like Mazan had got out of bed on the wrong side, and who's never done THAT! I could be wrong, of course, I often am. Now, these intelligent neighbours of yours, Ron, I'm intrigued. In what way does their intelligence manifest itself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 >It was referring to your original comment and >then saying that those who found the racism >offensive had no sense of humour,There was no racism in my message and only someone with no understanding of English could think otherwise. The French are a nation, not a race. I refer you to the nearest dictionary for confirmation.> and after this outburst I don't think >I would admit to being you...Outburst? The only outbursts and insults here were the ones directed personally at me, as can clearly be seen by anyone who cares to remove their rose-tinted spectacles.>And don't bang the old 'political correctness' drum - >we all know what that means.What are you taking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 I wouldn't say intelligent. More cunning as a bag full of monkeys. None of the French I know are tightfisted even though a lot of them don't have a much money. Their tradition is to send New Year's cards. Why should they be called tight because they don't send Christmas cards? Nor are they illiterate.Talk about sweeping statements.Must be an area thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opas Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 Merry Christmas Mazan, good to see you posting again!We sent Christmas cards to our neighbours last year and they were very well received, can I just add that it was our first Christmas in france last year, and to give the girls some cheer I bought a blow up santa( no comments please) to hang out of the window.....no other house in the village was dressed outside.....this year they all think Santa is a burgler, he is trying to climb in at every window hanging precariously from a rope!Mrs O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 >I bought a blow up santaAn exploding Santa! Perfect!I'm making a list, checking it twice .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 So it was santa who found the plastic explosive was it,maybe it fell from a french plane while he was on the same fight path and because santa has the right of way the plastic explosive land in his sleigh as the plane took avertive action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazan Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 > Why should they be called tight> because they don't send Christmas cards? Why indeed? I didn't call them tightfisted for not sending Christmas cards. I just wondered if they don't send them because they are tightfisted. The two are totally different.> Nor are they illiterate.Ask any Frenchman. They all know about grammar and spelling and most will readily admit that as a nation they are bad at both. This isn't to say that other nations are any better, but that wasn't the point.The French used to spend a lot of time practicing handwriting but not much time learning how to spell. The end result is that many write beautiful script that is full of errors.The younger ones now tend not to learn to write well by hand so one can't read what they write at all. In that respect I have much in common with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRT17 Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 Just for the record, today we have received a card (in the U.K) from an elderly French lady, a neighbour of ours in France. The card is definitely French, it has picture of a candle with a lovely sparkly star and says "Joyeux Noel et Bonne Annee" (sorry, I can't manage the accents). Our friend has written inside the card in both English and French. This is the first time we have received one from this particular friend, our other French friends usually send after New Year.Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 "I bought a blow up santa..."Funnily enough, the UK magazine Private Eye contains an ad, headed "f**k good taste" suggesting one buys an 8ft illuminated inflatable Santa to annoy the neighbours. Yet one sees them everywhere in this bit of France. I think that says something about la différence. Sorry Mrs O, that probably counts as a comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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