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the year sales, we are bombarded with reminders of how commercialized and Godless our culture has become. When I was in France, I had the unique opportunity to compare two cultures. I learned a lot of things about France. It shocked me how many misconceptions I had about the French, and how many they had about Americans. I was able to meet the real people of countries from all over the world, and hear what people really think. Things really aren�t as bad as CNN would have us believe. As I compared the various cultures I ran up against, I began to understand why a lot of the things we hear about on the news happened. And, strangely enough, when I came home and was able to watch American news again, I realized that I had learned a lot about my culture. But, there is no Thanksgiving dinner in France. One of the American missionaries I met during my stay periodically has what she calls �English Nights� where people who speak English and people who want to learn can come and we all visit. The last one before I left was a Thanksgiving dinner. There were people there from all over the world, South Africa to Northern Ireland, and everywhere in between. They couldn�t believe that all of America stopped for one day, and everyone was thankful. They have nothing like it in their countries. Since there isn�t any national kickoff like the Day after Thanksgiving sales, the Christmas season starts to trickle in about mid-October. There aren�t any of the big store displays, and I never did see a Christmas tree for sale. In France, Christmas is a time to spend with your family. Christmas dinner is something that you spend days preparing, and hours enjoying. Presents are given, but the food is the most important thing. To our American eyes, it would seem that the French are on to something. After all, what could be nicer than to spend Christmas day with your family, without any of the stress we associate with the holidays? No Santa Claus or Frosty the Snowman to deal with. Just your family gathered around and the real reason for Christmas. With all of the great cathedrals around, surely they can�t lose sight of what�s important, especially at Christmas time, right? You can�t drive more than 15 miles in France without running into a little village. Most of those little villages have a center where there is a church, and usually a fountain. I visited cathedrals in the North of France by Normandy, and in Paris, and all over the South of France. Despite the difference in location, there is one thing that was the same from the Notre Dame in Paris to the Notre Dame in Bayeaux; they are all tourist attractions. In the sanctuaries of these churches, there are displays of art, or historical timelines. There are gift shops where you can buy postcards and candles to light for the Virgin Mary. There are art students in abundance, but in all the cathedrals I visited, I only saw one woman praying. Your average French person is in a church three times in their life: the get baptized, but only so they can have a place to get married, and a place to be buried. The French culture is about as Godless as you will find. It will affect far more than just church attendance. I lived in it for two months, and it made me happier than I can ever say to come home, and see �God Bless America� stickers on cars. I still get chills up and down my spine every time I drive down the road, and see an American flag flying in someone�s yard. I had a friend from Germany who observed how many flags she saw on the news just after 9/11. It�s true there were more flags right then, but we have always flown our flag. Ursula said that you would never see anything like that in Germany. She said �Why would I want to fly the flag? There is no reason to be proud of being a German.� And that is the mindset throughout much of the World. You would never see a �God Bless France� sticker on anyone�s car. When I had to eat French food, I realized how much I loved American food. It�s amazing how many of the little things I took for granted, like having Parmesan cheese last for more than a week. In France, it doesn�t. Be thankful for that the next time you have lumps in your four year old can! Just like I took food for granted before I left, I took the presence of God in out culture for granted. Until you have experience something else, you don�t realize how blessed we are to live in America.In France, everything is very laid back. The average work week is about 30-35 hours. In the south of France where I was, everything shuts down for two hours every afternoon for lunch. Even schools close from 12-2. The only things open are the sidewalk cafes where you can get some coffee and a pastry and the restaurants where you can get something a little more filling. Those three hour meals that we always hear about are also misconceived� It actually takes 4-5 hours for a proper French meal. Everything is served in courses, and there is lots and lots of discussion going on. The French love to discuss their food. When you go into a store to buy vegetables, there is a sign above each item telling you what it is, how much it costs, where it came from, and how long ago it was picked. When you order meat, they will tell you where it came from. When you go into the egg isle (yes, there really is almost an entire isle for eggs) you select your eggs based on how the chicken was raised. The five basic ways to raise a chicken are: running around free, grazing for its own food. Running around in a very large pen with food provided by the farmers. Living in a barn, with food provided. Living in a large cage, or the very worst, living in a small cage. Supposedly, this all affects the flavor and quality of the eggs and a French person can tell the difference from the first taste. All of this is enough to occupy the dinner conversation for hours, and we haven�t even mentioned the two most important elements: The cheese and wine. It�s a far cry from our 20 minute meals. The French could make Thanksgiving dinner last for three days! |
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