In this edition of Entre Nous, we break down what may or may not be a debated question in your household: whether to give gifts on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. We also fill you in on some of France's many other giving traditions during the holidays and all year round, including where France stands compared to other nations, the tax incentives of donations and who can knock on your door asking for a holiday tip.
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NewsTranscript
00:00It's now time for our Entre-Nous segment, and today we're focusing on generosity,
00:05specifically the art of giving the French way.
00:08Solange Mougin joins me in the studio for more of this.
00:11Hi, Solange.
00:12Hi, Ginny.
00:13So, is there really a specific French way of giving?
00:14Well, the act of giving, of course, is universal, but there are a few traditions that are particularly
00:20strong here in France.
00:21But before we get into the particulars of French donations, of tax deductions, of les
00:27New Year's gifts, and overall how generous the French are or are not, let's dive into
00:32a burning gift-giving question that can be quite divisive at times in families.
00:38When do you give Christmas presents, on the 24th or on the 25th?
00:41In France, like in other nations, there is no one clear-cut answer, and to illustrate
00:47this, I have figures for you.
00:49Statistic Consumer Insights polled over 1,000 people in each of the following nations about
00:55this question of 24th or 25th.
00:56In France, they found that 38% opened their gifts on the Réveillon, or on Christmas Eve,
01:02versus 28% who wait for Santa to come on the 25th.
01:06It's important to note, as well, that some 34% said they have other traditions, like
01:10in my household, where after much negotiation, we do both, adults on the 24th, kids on the
01:1625th.
01:17Now, elsewhere, like in the U.S. and Germany, very few people open them on Christmas Eve,
01:22whereas in Brazil, most are die-hard 24-Decemberers.
01:26Again, here in France, like in the U.K., it is a mixed bag, and it is also an expensive
01:32bag as well, with the average budget just for presents ranging, in France, between 200
01:38and 400 euros, depending on the poll.
01:41I am Christmas Day all the way.
01:43Me, too.
01:44All right, so the holiday season, not just about giving gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas
01:48Day, for many people, it's also about giving to those who are less fortunate.
01:51Yeah, and France is not on the podium of being among the top three most generous nations.
01:57Those honors actually go to Indonesia, Kenya, and the U.S.
01:59This is according to the World Giving Index, which tracks if people volunteer, donate to
02:04charity, and help strangers.
02:06France is actually 100th on that list.
02:08But the French do give, and they're giving more and more.
02:11In December, the Unions of Associations and Foundation, the France Générosité, came
02:17out with its latest figures, and it found that in 2022, the French gave over 9 billion
02:22euros to charity.
02:23Of those donations, 58% came from private citizens, or 5.5 million households.
02:31Companies were also big actors here, contributing 42% of that 9 billion figure, or nearly 4
02:37billion.
02:38That sum was spread out over 142,000 businesses, then providing sponsorship and aid.
02:45Both individuals and companies do get tax write-offs here in France, with the deadline
02:50being the 31st of December, so there are quite a number of last-minute checks at this time
02:55of year.
02:56For individuals, tax deductions range from 66% to 75%, depending on the type of charity
03:02you give to.
03:03These laws are often called the loi Coluche.
03:06This is after the beloved French comic who created the food bank, Les Restos du Coeur,
03:11and pushed for such incentives to exist.
03:13Over the decades, such good deeds have actually caught on.
03:17In that recent France Générosité report, it found that individual donations have doubled
03:22since 2006, going from 320 euros to over 600 in 2022, with wealthy people and the elderly
03:32contributing the most.
03:33In regard to those that cannot spare an extra dime, there is always the possibility of giving
03:37of your time.
03:38Of course.
03:39Let's talk about vocabulary now, Solange.
03:40There are a lot of different ways in French to talk about giving.
03:44Yeah, there are.
03:45There's the word les étreintes, which I'll describe more in a moment.
03:49These are Christmas gifts or New Year's gifts.
03:51Then there is don, or donation, but also l'aigle, which is a bequest.
03:56Then there's the less-used aumône, or alms, and au bol, or a meager offering, a pittance.
04:02And finally, there's pourboire, which is a tip that you can give, for example, after
04:07a meal in a restaurant.
04:08Such daily pourboires, or tips, are commonplace here in France, but they are not, say, a requirement,
04:15or somewhat of a requirement, like they are in the United States.
04:17Okay, so that's for the vocabulary.
04:19So in practice, during the holidays, do French people give gifts to people who aren't their
04:23immediate friends and family?
04:24Well, of course, there are donations, which we've talked about.
04:27Then there are these things, these les étreintes.
04:29And this is a tradition of giving a little something to service workers.
04:32They date back to the Roman Empire, when it was a sprig of verbena branches.
04:37These gifts were then outlawed during the revolution, but they kind of stuck on.
04:41They were outlawed because they were thought of as corruption.
04:44The tradition continues today, nonetheless, especially towards les concierges, or building
04:49managers, who back in the day often would receive 10% of a tenant's rent in cash.
04:57Some give 150 francs, others 50 francs, others 200.
05:02Some are really nice to us, and from others we get nothing.
05:05Do you give the same services?
05:07No, not at all.
05:08But you help everyone.
05:09Everyone, but those that give nothing, get nothing.
05:13Sounds like my concierge.
05:14I don't have one.
05:17There are fewer and fewer of these concierges or guardians, so the tradition is dying out
05:21a bit.
05:22But often a cash, and often actually a cash omelette can be replaced by a little bottle
05:27of wine or a little trinket.
05:29They do still exist, the cash omelettes.
05:31One thing that also continues, but could also potentially die out, is the sale of calendars.
05:36In France right now, you may see firefighters on street corners or going door-to-door selling
05:40calendars for the new year.
05:42This is a tradition that dates back to just after World War II.
05:45It is legal.
05:46As long as the firefighters have, they're okay from their hierarchy and are in uniform.
05:50The funds go to charities, to paying for the 14th of July balls, to La Micale, or these
05:55firehouse associations.
05:57Now the post office workers do also sell calendars, they have this tradition.
06:01But here the money goes directly to the postal worker, who has actually bought them out of
06:05pocket in advance to boost his or her often meager salaries.
06:10The same goes for les ébroueurs, or street cleaners and garbage workers.
06:14Here though, many cities actually warn people about swindlers and impostors.
06:19In Paris, for example, it is illegal to have ébroueurs or street cleaners go door-to-door.
06:23So you have to be a bit wary of that at times.
06:27But all the same, one of the amazing things on the whole about generosity of all sorts
06:31is the effect that it can have on the giver.
06:34Studies show that one of the fastest ways to become happier is through generosity.
06:38Oh, I love that.
06:39All right, Solange, thank you so much for that.
06:41Solange Mugendre with that look at how people give here in France.
06:44Thank you very much.