10 Facts about French Easter | and bonus vocabulary!

How is Easter celebrated in France? All you need to know (and more)!

Pâques is a very special time in France! But what is it really about? Is it a religious celebration, a chocolate feast, or simply a time for vacations? 🤔 What if I told you it’s a bit of everything? In this article, I reveal 10 facts about French Easter! 🔔

1. Origins of Easter

Easter was originally a religious celebration with roots in both the Jewish and Christian traditions! The Jewish festival of Passover commemorates the Hebrews' escape from slavery in Egypt. 

In Christianity, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his crucifixion. The 40 days of Lent, a period of fasting and reflection, lead up to this significant event. Both traditions share common themes of renewal and hope!

2. Le lundi de Pâques

In France, Easter is a public holiday, which means people get the day off on Monday, and schools are closed. It’s the perfect time to digest all the chocolates and food you ate over the weekend. 😉 Speaking of which…

3. The egg hunt in France

All French children have done it at least once in their life: the egg hunt! It takes place on Easter Sunday, either in the family backyard or inside the house. Kids wake up in the morning, and their parents send them off to look for the chocolate eggs hidden around the house. 

Whether it’s behind the TV or under a flower pot, they have to search everywhere! I remember my grandparents used to hide a ton of chocolate, and sometimes we’d find some months later that hadn’t been discovered during the hunt. 😂 Now, how do these chocolates end up there (I mean really)? Get ready to be amazed…

4. The magic bells of Easter

In France, the eggs are spread in the backyard or inside the house by… a giant bell! 🔔 You might be wondering, rightly so, why (and HOW) a bell would do that? During the Easter period, churches in French villages go silent from Thursday to Sunday as a tribute to the mourning of Jesus. And to explain this unusual silence to the children, it was said that the bells had flown to the Vatican. On their way back, they drop chocolate eggs and treats in the gardens!

Depending on the region, the Easter hare may also play a role. In Alsace, for example, the bunny is on duty.

5. Family lunch on paschal Sunday

After the egg hunt on Sunday, it’s time for a big family meal! (As if we hadn’t eaten enough already 😂). 

The traditional Easter lunch typically includes lamb, also known as l’agneau de Pâques. In the Middle Ages, people also ate leftover eggs that had been stored during Lent, symbolizing the end of the fasting period. 

6. A link between Napoléon and Pâques

Did you know that the famous Emperor had something to do with this holiday? During the Middle Ages, the entire week after Easter, called the Octave, was a public holiday in France! 

But Napoleon shortened this to just Monday in 1801 (following the signing of the Concordat with the Vatican). Since then, Easter Monday has become a national holiday in France.

7. French Spring Break

Let’s be honest, these days Pâques is especially popular in France because it means vacation time! Easter vacations are the equivalent of Spring Break in most countries. 

It’s a two-week break that most French kids look forward to all year. Families often take the opportunity to head to the South for some fresh air and sunshine!

8. The Christian mass on Sunday

Even though Pâques has become a national holiday for everyone, whether religious or not, many Christian families still attend church on Sunday for la messe (the Easter service). It usually takes place in the morning and is followed by one big family lunch!

9. How to say Easter in French

Easter translates to Pâques in French (without the article ⚠️)! 

It generally refers to the Christian celebration. However, If you add an article, as in la Pâque, it refers to the Jewish Passover.

10. Facts about French Easter vs Australia

By the way, how is the celebration of Easter in France different from Australia?

Similarities

Chocolate madness

Aussies and Frenchies have one thing in common: their passion for chocolate! The egg hunt is popular in both cultures.

Holiday vibe

On the two sides of the world, this is a time for rest, and family gatherings. 😎

Easter Monday

Le lundi de Pâques is a public holiday in both Australia and France.

Differences

Good Friday

In Australia, the Friday before le weekend pascal is a national holiday, meaning everything shuts down. In France, it’s a normal day and people still head to work.

Hot cross buns

Aussies love to eat these spiced buns marked with a cross throughout the Easter period! Hot cross buns in France are not common at all.

The Easter bilby

While French tradition involves magic bells distributing chocolates, wait for the Australian equivalent… the bilby! That’s a cute native marsupial, which has become a symbol of Easter down under. 

➡️ It’s promoted as an eco-friendly alternative to the Easter bunny, helping raise awareness for endangered wildlife.

Bonus: Essential Easter Vocabulary in France

• les cloches de Pâques = Easter bells

• le lapin = the bunny

• la cocotte en chocolat = the chocolate chicken

• les oeufs en chocolat = the chocolate eggs

• la chasse aux oeufs = the egg hunt

• une cachette = a hiding place

• cacher les oeufs = to hide the eggs

• chercher les oeufs = to search for the eggs

• un panier = a basket

• le lundi de Pâques = Easter Monday

• un jour férié = a public holiday 

• une fête = a celebration

• pascal = paschal

• Joyeuse Pâques! = Happy Easter!

• Les cloches sont passées! = The bells have made their “rounds”!

Easter weekend in France is pretty wild - especially when it comes to chocolate consumption! If you ever celebrate it there, make sure to prepare your stomach. 😉 

And how about you? Do you celebrate during Pâques? 

Are you more into magical bells, bunnies or bilbies? Tell me all about it in the comments! 🥳

➡️ Hey there, help us spread positivity - here’s some vocabulary about love in French!