Eating in the land of cheese, wine, and indulgent, butter-filled pastries, food is not just sustenance, it’s a religion. This is the one faux pas I have no fear I could ever commit. If you don’t worship at the altar of food, I cannot (see: will not) be friends with you. Don’t worry about impatient waiters! This custom is so ingrained in the culture that they don’t even bring the bill until requested. They will order an espresso or a glass of wine and spend hours deep in conversation or people-watching solo. While big cities are generally synonymous with the constant, on-the-go mentality, Parisians love to linger all day on a café terrasse – rain shine, winter or summer. They will consider you extremely rude if you forego this so get ready to practice your French. The keystone to politeness in Paris is offering a bright Bonjour or Bonsoir– to shopkeepers, waiters, and even strangers in the elevator – to acknowledge the other person as an equal, worthy of respect. Put aside your English to French dictionaries because there’s only one word you need to know. It’s all about attitude and spirit, not what you put on your body. They ere on the side of classic, timeless pieces, maintaining a healthy distance from head-to-toe trendy because nothing is less stylish than looking like you’re trying too hard. As one of the fashion epicentres of the world, they set the trends, they don’t follow them. Parisians are known for their effortless style, emphasis on the effortless. French toast is for dessert and egg dishes are reserved for lunch and dinner but the first meal of the day is simple with little variation. This was probably the most devastating revelation to me – breakfast is not a thing. If you’re accustomed to a hearty breakfast – like a generous fraction of quiche or creamy scrambled eggs – forget about it in Paris. And don’t ask me why this is the way it’s done in Paris because heck if I know. ➳ A Not-So-Secret Love Affair (With Food) In ParisĪfraid of bumbling all over The City of Light with my overenthusiastic and unsophisticated zeal (the way Khaleesi stormed Meereen) I’ve compiled a list of 7 Surprising Faux Pas To Avoid Committing In Paris. ➳ 9 Oh-So-French Ways to Experience Paris Like A Local ➳ The 7 Surprising Faux Pas To Avoid Committing in Paris When I inquire as to why Parisians operate the way they do (or NOT do), the paltry explanation offered is simply “It is just not done” with the same unflinching authority as a Dothraki recites “It is known.” Vague, mysterious, and simple to the point of being abrupt. In preparation for my last minute trip to Paris, in addition to restaurant recommendations, I’ve received a lot of advice on what to expect during my trip – the dos and don’ts – to avoid public shunning of the locals who will otherwise be shaking their expertly coiffed heads at the gauche North American who exclaims a little too appreciatively at plant-filled cafes and artery-clogging slabs of fromage (see, I’m bilingual already!). Apparently a HUGE faux pas, no matter what country you do it in (or so I’m told). Think drinking gravy in front of party guests. It explains why France is where the term “faux pas” originates from, to describe a deviation from the accepted French way.Ĭompletely merged into everyday usage, faux pas was first coined in the 1670s, meaning “false step” that can be an actual loss of physical balance but more commonly refers a social gaffe. There is an accepted way of being – talking, eating, socializing, thinking – that is somehow bred into the population from the womb. The French are widely renowned for having one of the most refined cultures in the world and that kind of thing doesn’t happen without a strict social etiquette.
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