Day 3036 (Tuesday) 30th September 2025

It was another lovely warm day and we went to Nice for our weekly kebab in the park.

Sadly it’s now time to wear a hoodie while on the scooter but it’s still lovely and warm in the sunshine. 

Going back to the weird French traditions, here are some more…

There are up to 5 different meals to eat in a day.

French traditions surrounding the number of times you eat in a day may be a little different than what you are accustomed to.

On average, most people in France eat a minimum of 2 to 3 meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, there are two additional meals in the day, which are optional.

Tasting: Le goûter – optional between 4 and 6 pm.

Around 4:30 pm, when children get home from school, they usually take a goûter (a taste), which is like a snack but not really because it’s a scheduled mealtime. This goûter is always sweet and can be anything from Nutella on bread, pain au lait, brioche or a cookie.

People eat much later in France, so the goûter usually holds kids over until mealtime, from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

French Apero:- optional begins between 6 to 8 pm.

The second optional meal is the French apéro. It’s not a daily event, more of a weekly or monthly event to catch up with friends. The French Apero is always before dinner. The goal is to unwind after a long day and open the appetite with a drink (usually a pre-dinner alcoholic drink) and a small bite of something salty, such as olives or chips. The nibbly bits are never sweet. 

An Entrée is an appetiser in France.

In some English-speaking countries, the entrée is the main course, but it’s the appetiser in France.

The main course in French is called le plat, or plat principal (meaning the main dish). French people are often perplexed as to why the entrée in the English-speaking world is the main dish. 

Why is an Entrée not the main dish in France and French-speaking regions?

In 18th century England,  a typical formal dinner had many more courses. British restaurants adopted the French word for an appetiser, “Entree,” which means “enter” because this was the dish served immediately before the centrepiece of the whole meal, usually a big heavy roast. 

As Anglo dining habits changed, meals gradually became less elaborate, with fewer and simpler courses. However, in the United States, the entrée course, which used to be one of the appetiser courses, continued to be known as the “entree.” It was probably kept because anything French was, and still is, considered haute couture and prestigious.  

           

Popcorn is served cold at movie theatres in France: Salty or sweet

This one always blows my mind. My daughter loves to order sweet popcorn at movie theatres which is basically cold popcorn with sugar thrown on it. Want some regular butter popcorn? That’s served cold or room temperature too.

Eating raw sea urchins is popular in some parts of France

 

You’ve probably heard about or tried raw sea urchins in a Japanese restaurant. Eating raw sea urchins can be an acquired taste, as the texture and flavour can be somewhat salty and intense.

You might be surprised to learn that eating raw sea urchins, or “oursins” in France, is a centuries-old exotic food tradition, especially in coastal regions such as Provence, Marseille and even Brittany. The sea urchins are often served fresh from the sea, cracked open and eaten raw with a spoon. The roe is sometimes mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, or vinegar to enhance its flavour.

The sea urchin’s bright orange or yellow roe, known as “corail” in French, is considered a delicacy.

Strange French Commerce and Shopping Culture in France

There are a few strange French traditions around the kind of things you can buy in France that might seem unusual or even humorous to tourists. Here are some examples.

Pink toilet paper

France has pink toilet paper, or “papier toilette rose.” Although this isn’t a French tradition that’s unique to France, it seems to amaze some people.

The exact reason for the popularity of pink toilet paper in France is not entirely clear, but some suggest that it may be due to a combination of factors, including cultural traditions and marketing strategies.

In the past, coloured toilet paper was a popular trend in many countries, including the United States, but concerns over the dyes and chemicals used to colour the paper led to a decline in popularity. In France, however, pink toilet paper has remained a popular choice for consumers.

The state determines the annual sales in stores.

Rock bottom sales are strictly regulated in France by the state.

By law, stores in France cannot offer deep discount sales except twice a year at a specific time. The purpose of these sales periods is to encourage consumer spending and help retailers clear out their excess inventory.

During these sales periods, retailers can legally sell their unsold inventory at a discount and even at a loss. This is not allowed at any other time of the year, and merchants can get fined if they sell things at a loss.

These regulations are set to prevent retailers from constantly marking down their prices and engaging in a price war, which can harm smaller businesses.

The two official government-approved annual sales periods last five weeks each and are known as “Les soldes.” 

Winter sales begin the second Wednesday in January or the first Wednesday if the second Wednesday falls after January 12th.

Summer sales start on the last Wednesday in June or the second to last Wednesday of June if the last Wednesday falls after June 28th.

Not all retailers have to participate in the sales periods. Small businesses are exempt and can choose to hold their sales outside the official periods if they wish.

Then there are “Les ventes privées,” which translates to “private sales” in English, a type of discount shopping event that takes place outside the official sales periods set by the French government. These events are usually organised by individual retailers or third-party companies that partner with multiple brands to offer product discounts.

Unlike the official sales periods, the government does not regulate les ventes privées, which means that retailers have more freedom to set their own prices and discounts. These sales are typically invitation-only, with retailers sending out email invitations to their best customers or members of their loyalty programmes.