Holiday Greeting Cards
('Cartes de Voeux')
French people don’t send Christmas cards; they send New Year’s greeting cards instead, and one can wish 'Bonne Année' throughout the month of January with a card or in-person starting a conversation with 'Mes Meilleurs Voeux' (with my best wishes).
Holiday Gift Giving Étiquette
'Les Étrennes'
Traditionally, the word refers to gifts given to workers who provide a regular service: the mail carrier ('le Postier'), local firemen (les 'Sapeurs-Pompiers'), and the trash collectors (les éboueurs). In years past, they would ring the doorbell and offer a calendar while accepting a token money gift. Sadly, this tradition is fading because of scammers ('frauders').
One gift-giving tradition, however, has stood the test of time: the Etrennes for a building super (Le Concierge). It is customary for building tenants and owners to deliver a handwritten thank you note and a money gift in an 'understated' way consistent with French manners.
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