■French Society and Culture
■Cuisine
◇One of the great passions of the French people is food.
◇French cuisine is highly refined and entails careful preparation, attention to detail, and the use of fresh elements.
◇It is different depending on region and is heavily affected by what is grown locally.
◆ French Family Values
◇The family is one of the great stabilizing elements in French and each member has certain duties and responsibilities.
◇The extended family supplies both emotional and financial support.
◇In spite of their reputation as romantics, the French have a realistic attitude towards marriage.
◇There are few children in families, but parents treat their role as guardians and providers very seriously.
◆ Relationships—Public vs. Private
◇The French are private people and have different canons of behavior for people within their social circle and those who are not.
◇Although the French are usually courteous in all dealings, only with their close friends and family are they relaxed to be themselves.
◇Friendship involves a set of roles and duties, including being available should you be needed. Friendship needs frequent, if not daily, contact.
■Etiquette and Customs in France
◆ Meeting Etiquette
◇The common form of greeting is handshake.
◇The way that friends greet each other is to kiss lightly on the cheeks, once on the left cheek and once on the right cheek.
◇First names are kept specially for family and close friends. Do not use someone’s first name unless invited.
◇It is suggested that you say “bonjour” or “bonsoir” (good morning and good evening) with the honorific title Monsieur or Madame when entering a shop and “au revoir” (goodbye) when leaving.
◇If you live in an apartment building, it is courteous to greet your neighbors with the same appellation.
◆ Gift Giving Etiquette