France is well known for many things, from cuisine and fashion to art and architecture. Yet France holds much more cultural depth than meets the eye.
King Louis XIX held the record for having ruled for only 20 minutes! And considering France has 12 time zones.
1. The French are the world’s biggest consumers of snails
French love their snails (escargot). Each year they devour over 25,000 tonnes of this delicacy and often pair it with garlic butter, chicken stock or wine as a tasty side dish. Many believe consuming snails helps extend life expectancy and enhance mental wellbeing.
France has long used roosters as its national emblem and it can be found everywhere from flags, bell towers, weathervanes, stamps and coins to their flags, bell towers, weathervanes, weathervanes and stamps. It’s believed that they first started being used this way around 1,000 years ago!
French cuisine is famous for producing over 1,200 types of cheese annually! Alongside their famous snails, French people also adore cheese – over 1200 different kinds!
France is famous for their love of cheese, but they also consume enormous quantities of wine – an estimated annual average of 40 litres per person!
France stands out from other nations by having laws which stipulate you cannot throw away or burn food, taking this aspect of their culture very seriously and treating food as something sacred – anyone caught doing this could face fines!
France stands out as being a truly unique nation because they do not permit couples to kiss on train platforms due to French health-consciousness and to avoid any unnecessary delays! Therefore, it would be best to exchange kisses before the train arrives on platform! Furthermore, unlimited ketchup or salad dressing in schools shows their health-mindedness further. These facts demonstrate why French society stands apart.
2. The French have the longest life expectancy
France is beloved by many for its incredible culture, fashion, and cuisine – not to mention one of the highest life expectancies worldwide! French women rank second out of 35 industrialized nations studied, while their male counterparts don’t lag too far behind either.
Just in case that wasn’t enough to convince you of France’s joie de vivre, just remember they invented cinema – with France hosting the very first commercial film screening ever held!
French culture is well known for its penchant for luxury, evidenced by their stringent laws against food waste. While this may seem strange given that France is one of the biggest producers and consumers of bread, croissants, pastries and pate in Europe; all of this is done to prevent food shortages and preserve national heritage cuisine.
Another unexpected fact about France might come as a shock: posthumous marriage is legal in France if both spouses of a deceased person were interested in marrying posthumously while still alive, and written permission from France’s president is obtained as well. Though rare in practice, only a handful of French individuals have ever married their dead loved one posthumously.
3. The French have the most roundabouts
France stands out as an intriguing country due to the large number of roundabouts found there. Although its exact number remains a bit of a mystery, based on some volunteered data it is estimated that France boasts approximately 967 roundabouts per million inhabitants – double Spain and almost triple that of the UK!
While not as common in the US (where only 4,800 exist), French drivers love them, claiming that they reduce traffic backups and accidents by 80% when compared to stop signs or lights. They also provide more freedom, as drivers don’t need to stop and wait at red lights like traditional intersections do – instead simply circle around until reaching their exit like Chevy Chase did in National Lampoon’s European Vacation!
Traffic circles stand out from other forms of transport by often featuring art. This tradition began over 100 years ago as an effort by L’Auto newspaper to increase its circulation; and has become a key aspect of French culture ever since. All new roads must set aside a percentage of their budget for art installations – which explains why nearly every roundabout you visit will feature at least some form of sculpture within its center.
Tour de France, beginning and ending in Paris, passes through numerous towns that each offer their own brand of art on the streets. While these may not be your sole reasons for visiting France’s cultural mecca, they provide an insight into why so many visitors find France so unforgettable.
4. The French eat a lot of baguettes
The French are well-known for their love of baguettes – long sticks of bread that have become iconic of French cuisine – which they consume over 10 million per year! And this passion doesn’t just stop at eating them; the French also consider it impolite to hold one with both hands; instead it is considered more proper to put it in a handbag, rucksack or bike basket so as not to collapse and create a mess when transporting.
The baguette’s distinctive, long form was most likely inspired by Austrian bakers who immigrated to Paris during the early 19th century, who made use of its shape for making bread sticks more easily digestible for soldiers on march. Napoleon Bonaparte even ordered that soldiers receive these bread sticks rather than traditional round loaves on march, as these fit more comfortably into long pocket spaces of uniforms.
French citizens are experts at bread production, from consumption to creation. They’re very particular about what ingredients go into their boulangeries’ baguettes and many believe natural fermentation processes produce the highest-quality baguettes – this method requires patience and expertise; yet its end product makes the wait worthwhile!
France has laws against food waste, as the French take their culinary pleasures very seriously. Knowing this fact about France makes you appreciate a delicious piece of bread even more!
5. The French have a law against naming pigs after Napoleon
France is one of the world’s premier travel destinations, yet there’s still much to learn about its culture and history. From its contributions to global democracy to haute couture fashion and its world-renowned industry, there’s much to admire about France – but did you know they have a law against naming pigs after Napoleon Bonaparte? While this might sound unusual at first, this odd rule seems perfectly reasonable given his controversial history.
At the time of the French Revolution, many were inspired by its revolutionary ideals – particularly their dedication to freedom and equality as represented by “Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite”. However, these revolutionaries weren’t perfect: among their notable flaws was their desire to abolish aristocracy which led to many conflicts and riots across France.
Some were even executed, including Napoleon himself who was executed by guillotine in 1815. Following this revolutionary wave, aristocracy lost power and democracy and rule of law were implemented worldwide.
Though it’s legal to name a pig after Napoleon, many find the concept offensive and feel that it betrays disrespect for his legacy as an icon of revolutionary struggle. This debate sheds light on the difficulties associated with both freedom of expression and honoring historical figures’ legacies.
Are You Curious about France? There are plenty of books and films to help introduce the culture. Join a tour to experience their way of life while visiting some iconic landmarks!