What is a normal day in France?

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Respect others

One of the most interesting differences between a normal day in France and a normal day in America is the schedule. In big cities,some of what I'll tell you isn't so true recently and their schedule is becoming a little more "American," but in many smaller cities and towns, and rural areas, it's like this:
Breakfast is very light and simple, just a "tartine" (sliced open baguette with butter and jam) and juice, and coffee or tea or hot chocolate. Then off to work or school.
At lunchtime, the offices and businesses and most stores immediately close down. I mean, roll down the iron gates, lock the doors, everybody out. It's time for lunch! Some stores will stay open until 12:30 -- like the bakery or supermarket, so people will have time to pick something up on their way home to have lunch. Those who go home for lunch will stay home for at least an hour to an hour and a half, to enjoy their lunch calmly with their family, maybe take a little nap, before going back to work. Most adults will have a glass of wine with lunch.
People who don't go home to lunch will go to a cafÃ© or restaurant with their friends or coworkers, or perhaps alone, and have a leisurely one-hour lunch, then go back to work. You don't often see people standing or sitting around eating lunch out of a paper bag. Meals are taken pretty seriously in France.

The nice thing about everything closing at lunchtime is it really forces you to slow down and enjoy the important things in life, like family, conversation, enjoying a meal. You can't try to run around and do errands on your lunch break, because the stores are closed, the post office is closed, the bank is closed. So you must stop, take a real break, and eat lunch properly.

At 1:30 or 2:00 or 2:30 p.m., depending on when they closed, the businesses and stores and offices open again. People go back to work or school, and stay until 6 p.m. or whatever, depending on the kind of work they do.

When they go home in the evening, dinner is usually a very light meal compared to lunch -- maybe just some leftovers from lunch, or a bowl of soup. Lunch is the bigger meal of the day.

Where I live in France, Sundays are very family-oriented still, with everyone getting together at Grandma's house or wherever, a leisurely long lunch in the early afternoon, and the day is spent just hanging out together. Maybe some yardwork, maybe a family expedition to a park.

I'm sure that in Paris, times are changing and the pace is faster and more intense than in the country, just like Manhattan is different from some small town in Iowa, but I still believe that most French choose a pace that values friends, conversation and good food, and family. And the society and work schedule is set up to support that.

Rillifane

I found the previous answer fascinating and, to the best of my knowledge it is generally true for, as he says, smaller cities, towns and rural areas. My observation however, would be that it is not true of larger cities in France and much of what he says about rural France is equally true for rural America.

People in East Texas (which is my principle place of residence) are focused on family (and church). They may eat their big meal of day in the evening rather than at noon but it is almost always with family. Indeed, there is almost nothing but family oriented activites here. Wednesdays the streets are empty at night because everyone is in Church sponsored activiites (why they do this on Wed. night I have yet to figure out). On Friday night everyone is at the local high school football game. Saturday night everything is closed by 10 PM because everyone must get up early to go to church. Sunday is always chiurch in the morning followed by a big meal at noon, often with friends and neighbors. So you can see there is little difference between this and what has been described as being French.

As for big cities, I find little difference between Paris and New York (where I grew up) in terms of how the average white collar worker spends his day. The French work slightly fewer hours perhaps and do have longer annual vacations but globalization drives everyone and everything to a certain type of homogeneity.

Today in Paris people are eating their lunch at places like Flunch, Quick, and even (I shudder to think of it) McDonalds. Traditional cafes and bistros are closing and being replaced by Starbucks.

This is not to say that there are no differences between the French and the Americans but only that looking at their respective daily schedules may not be very enlightening.

marzetwo

OK so this is my day schefdule (in paris)

I wake up around 8 am (after half an hour of procrastination). I dash off to work on my bike at 9, having more often than not skipped breakfast altogether (I know, it's bad).
After a long morning at work, I'll either go to the canteen with colleagues (we usually gather around 1:30 pm, why so late, it's a mystery, but if you go earlier, nobody will be there and you'll be alone looking at your newspaper : sad). It takes a good hour (eating snails, see answer to another post), and gossiping. Or I have a business lunch, and in that case I won't be back to work before quarter to 3 (but will have worked, please note). Then an afternoon at work. When all the meetings are done, the real work begins around 7pm, and I usually am back on my bike (10 mn, not a big thing) to home around 9 or 10 pm, when I'll fix me a bowl of soup (home-made : good) or bread and cheese (bad for the waistline). Why I'm then sitting here answering questions at 2 am is yet another mystery.

OK, I have a stupid hectic job and this is not the average day schedule of the French (surprise : i'm a civil servant !) , but this is just to tell you that, yes, it tends to be a little different in Paris. Except, maybe, the part that says that the lunch pause is important.

Going to bed, now ! Have to wake up at 7:30 tomorrow. have to !

left the forum

I like what the first member said regarding France. I am planning a trip to France, in a year, or so. I asked a question about France, 2 days ago, and I saw this one, and it called my attention. I was looking for this question again I finally found it.When I was reading the answers I have to say that Respect others, really gave a very good and detailed description of a fascinating city. I am planning to learn some French words and sentences and have a good time with the good people there.

david464014

Wednesday (mercredi) is fairly average.

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