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After making the decision to relocate to France, there are a multitude of little odds and ends that are good to know when trying to settle into the culture. Here's a list of some random facts and tips that are good to know about size differences, holiday differences and time/date display differences that will help a transferee easily integrate into France.
Sizing
Simple as it might sound, when relocating to France or any European country, the differences in clothing sizing can be fairly difficult to understand. Rather than letting a transferee purchase an oversized pair of pants or some clown shoes, this chart can let him or her wade through the differences and make good choices.
Time and Date
Another oft confusing aspect to relocating to France is the differences in the way the time and date are displayed. In the United States, time is usually displayed on an AM/PM system. In France, on the other hand, time is shown in the 24-hour system (what is usually referred to as "military time" in the United States). The hours 13 through 24 are the PM hours on the AM/PM system.
For example:
3:45 PM would be 15:45 in the 24-hour system. It is often displayed with an "h" instead of a colon separating the hour and the minutes (e.g. 15h45).
As for the date, in the United States the date is usually shown in Month/Day/Year format (e.g. August 30, 1987), while in France, it is shown in the Day/Month/Year format (e.g. 30 aug 1987 or 30/08/1987 or 30.8.1987). Do not capitalize months in French unless they begin sentences.
Holidays
While the Americans and the French share most holidays, there are a few standout differences. For ease, below is a list of all public holidays in France.
- New Years (Jan 1)
This is pretty much the same as the American holiday, save for the practice of exchanging greetings during the month of January through cards or telephone calls
- Labor Day (May 1)
The American Labor Day falls on the first Monday of September, but the French one is on May 1
- The Victoire 1945 (May 8)
A public holiday that celebrates the end of the World War II
- l'Ascension (date changes)
Celebrating the Ascension of Christ, this holiday falls on the 5th Thursday after Easter
- La Fête National (July 14)
Celebrating the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution, this holiday is akin to the United States' July 4
- Assomption (Aug 15)
A religious holiday that celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
- La Toussaint (Nov 1)
Known in the United States as "All Saints Day," it is a festival of the dead. It is customary to visit graves of lost loved ones during this time.
- l'Armistice 1918 (Nov 11)
A public holiday that celebrates the end of World War I
- Noël (Dec 25)
Known in the United States as Christmas, this is another holiday both countries share
In France, it is customary for children to leave out their shoes in hopes that they will be filled with presents, similar to the idea of stockings
Of course, don't forget that all those dates would be revered in France. There are many differences, but one by one, a transferee can easily figure them out after he or she makes the decision to relocate to France.
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