How the French Keep the Holidays Simple: Stress-Free Traditions & Tips

There’s a certain simplicity to life in France that I noticed almost immediately after moving here. The first thing was how little people own and buy compared to back home — partly cultural, partly practical. Homes are smaller, storage is limited, and prices are high, which means overbuying simply isn’t an option for most families. Life feels lighter because it quite literally is.

And then there’s the food. For all the talk of French cuisine being elaborate and decadent, the day-to-day reality is the opposite. As a chef friend of mine loves to remind me, “If you buy good ingredients, you barely need to do anything to them.” A piece of fish gently poached, roasted vegetables with good olive oil, a crisp green salad, a glass of wine with Sunday lunch — simple, seasonal, unfussy. The pleasure is in the quality, not the show.

The holidays here feel similar. Without Thanksgiving, and with Halloween only loosely adopted (France, please stop trying to be someone you aren’t!), the season is beautifully pared back. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are the big celebrations, and everything in between is warm, family-centered, and refreshingly free of spectacle. The French keep the holidays simple.

Of course, France also embraces beauty — it’s in the national DNA. Paris is the global capital of haute couture and home to LVMH, so the holiday decorations there are grandiose in the best way. Dior, especially, turns its façade into a luminous work of art each year, and strolling past the boutiques feels like wandering through an open-air museum. And out in the mountains, places like Megève and the more under-the-radar La Clusaz transform into magical winter wonderlands — wooden chalets glowing with lights, smoke curling from chimneys, and snow settling softly on rooftops. It’s charming, cinematic, and deeply French, yet still somehow not overdone.

There is a very French distinction between quality and pretension — and the holidays lean firmly toward the former. Paris sparkles, Alpine villages turn into winter storybooks, and the beauty is undeniable. But beneath it all is something quieter: the French don’t fill the season with pressure, perfectionism, or excess. They do what feels meaningful and skip the rest.

After decades here, these are the things the French simply don’t do — and the things they do instead — that make the holidays calmer, cozier, and far more intentional. Read about how the French keep the holidays simple — and perhaps you can simplify yours too.

For an overview of everyday French wellbeing habits, start with → The French Approach To Wellbeing.

Forget the Cards (and the Portrait Pressure)

Holiday cards simply aren’t a French tradition — which means the whole world of matching outfits, staged portraits, and printing deadlines doesn’t exist here either. Once I stopped sending cards, I realized how much time, energy, money, and paper it saved.

And because cards aren’t part of the season, there’s no pressure to produce a perfect family photo. Most of my French friends take a spontaneous picture on Christmas Eve (the main celebration here), or they snap a moment on New Year’s Eve and send it that night. Natural, warm, unperformed — and done. A major way France keeps the holidays simple.

The One-Present Policy

This is the easiest way to simplify the season. We adopted it when the kids were young. With only one gift to choose, children think carefully about what they truly want. The savings in time, money, and energy — and the reduction in unnecessary stuff — are enormous.

I still make stockings with small, useful surprises, but the one-gift rule keeps everything grounded.

Creative Wrapping (The French Are Quiet Experts)

One of my favourite French traditions is how shops wrap gifts. Even my local pharmacist disappears behind the counter with a bottle of Nuxe oil and comes back with something that looks like it came from an LVMH boutique. Presentation matters deeply in France. Food can be incredibly simple but always beautifully arranged, and wrapping follows the same philosophy.

When we wrap at home, we keep it practical: scraps of fabric, brown paper, old maps, newspaper, ribbons saved from previous gifts, even a pretty paper bag cut down and reused. It saves money, eliminates last-minute shopping, recycles what we already have, and with a bit of creativity looks every bit as charming as store-bought wrapping.

Elegant doesn’t have to mean elaborate.

The Gift of Time

One of the simplest ways to reduce holiday overload is to skip exchanging gifts with your partner. Instead, choose something to do together after or during the holidays: a couples massage, a winter walk followed by a long lunch, a weekend away, a shared hobby you never make time for.

It’s often more meaningful than an object — and far less stressful.

Choose Invitations Wisely

In France, quality trumps quantity every time. You don’t need to attend every holiday drink, every gathering, every apéritif. Say yes to the moments that matter — your kids’ concert, dinner with close friends — and skip the ones that drain you.

Social life here is intentional, not frantic.

You Can’t Support Every Cause (Start Early & Keep It Simple)

One of the most meaningful moments of the French holiday season happens before December: the national food drive at the end of November. Volunteers stand outside supermarkets collecting donations for the country’s main food bank, and people give generously — everything from a few pantry staples to a full bag of groceries — all while doing their normal weekly shop.

If you can, consider planning your own giving early, before the Thanksgiving and Christmas rush. It’s one less thing to juggle and allows your donation to feel thoughtful and intentional rather than last-minute.

Make It a Holiday Potluck

Hosting a big holiday meal? Ask everyone to contribute a dish. This is no time to be superwoman (or superman). If you’re a guest, offer to bring something. If your kids are old enough, involve them — setting the table, taking coats, helping serve, doing dishes.

Shared effort is very French and takes a huge amount of pressure off the host.

Downsize Your Decorations

Holiday décor in France is charming but never excessive. Most homes can be decorated in two or three hours and taken down just as quickly. If it takes days, it might be time to simplify.

Keep the meaningful, nostalgic items and donate the rest. The French do elegance with restraint — a garland here, candles there, nothing overwhelming. Another major timesaver and way the French keep the holidays simple.

Commit to Occasional Indulgences

The French enjoy the holidays, including special meals and desserts, but moderation is the secret. Choose the delicious things — the really good things — but not everything at once. And always balance richer meals with vegetables, fruit, and lighter foods the next day.

Simplifying your diet during the season makes everything feel better.

Limit Alcohol (The French Way)

Let’s be honest: if there’s a holiday gathering in France, there will be Champagne. The difference is not whether they drink, but when and how much. French women choose their occasions wisely — a festive apéritif here, wine with a beautiful meal there — but not heavy drinking every night of December.

It’s intentional, balanced, and almost always paired with plenty of water (and usually a walk).

For an overview of how the French eat well, read more here → French healthy eating habits I learned after living here for 20+ years.

Get Outside (City Streets Included)

After big meals, the French walk. During the school holidays, families of all generations stroll together — through villages, forest paths, lakeside promenades, and just as often down beautifully lit city streets.

Movement here is woven into everyday life. Even ten or twenty minutes makes a difference.

Create a Festive Capsule Wardrobe

The French truly do not care about repeating outfits — it’s normal here. They own fewer clothes but better ones, and they wear them on repeat without a second thought.

Choose one or two great outfits for the season and rotate accessories, hairstyles, or a bold lip. Chic, simple, low maintenance.

Fore more on how French women perfect self care → 10 Ways French Women Practice Self Care.

Let Go of Perfection

The French have an entire concept devoted to table décor — l’art de la table — and they take great pride in making a table beautiful. But “beautiful” never means fussy. A linen napkin, a sprig of pine, a few candles — that’s enough.

Overcomplicating is not the French way.

Get Spiritual

Whether or not you’re religious, the French winter has a way of slowing you down and drawing you into something quieter. A snowy mountain range on a clear, sunny morning can feel truly moving. A peaceful walk through the forest, the sound of church bells in a village, or the stillness of fresh snow — these moments invite reflection and presence.

Take a little time during the holidays to connect with nature, breathe deeply, and step outside the noise of the season. It’s a simple way to ground yourself when everything else feels busy.

Think About Yourself When You Cook

Endless holiday cookies aren’t really a French thing. The traditional dessert is the Bûche de Noël — either the classic cake or the ice cream version — served after a proper meal at the table. You won’t find platters of sweets sitting out all day.

If you’re the cook in the house, make meals you’ll actually want to eat during the busy weeks — soups, stews, simple dishes you can freeze. Cook for others, yes, but cook for yourself too.

Try this amazing soup when you need the vitamins or have overindulged → French Detox Soup (My Mother-in-Law’s Secret Recipe).

Show Your Love

In France — and everywhere — the holidays are about the people you love. When you keep that at the center, everything else naturally softens. Pressure fades, expectations fall away, and the season becomes warmer, calmer, and infinitely more meaningful. That is why France keeps the holidays simple.

More From France

If you’re curious about how France nurtures healthier habits — from school lunches to everyday food, movement, and wellbeing — I share practical tips and stories each month. Sign up for the free newsletter below and receive my guide, The French Guide to Everyday Wellbeing, straight to your inbox. Merci!