Thanksgiving in France

When I was living in France, happily eating a pastry a-day, sampling my favorite pates and eating enough cheese to kill a lactose intolerant person, I hardly thought about my very favorite eating holiday until just about a week before Thanksgiving.

Of course, I then remembered that not only do the French not celebrate the holiday (and I had class until 7 pm that evening), but that many of the of essential ingredients necessary to put together a proper Thanksgiving meal (i.e. cranberries, sweet potatoes and pumpkin) are not abundantly available or easy to come by in France, I felt a huge wave of disappointment wash over me. No roasted turkey? No mashed potatoes slathered in gravy? No pumpkin pie? What was a girl to do.

However, if you are an ex-pat living in France, or simply visiting over the holiday, there are a few ways you can indulge in all of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions while abroad (like eating enough to feed a family and then passing out on the couch).

Find an American themed restaurant or bar:

Your best bet if you want to eat all of your favorite Thanksgiving foods, but don’t want to go to the trouble of hunting down elusive ingredients or attempting to cook your own meal (which is also impossible if you are staying in a hotel), is to find a local American bar or restaurant and find out if they are doing anything special for Thanksgiving. Especially in major cities like Paris, Nice and Lyon, you are likely to find a few establishments that are serving up turkey meals with all the fixings. Keep in mind, however, that you are in FRANCE, so the gravy will probably be more of a sauce, the pie more like a tarte, and the stuffing not exactly like your grandma’s.

Grocery Stores where you can find all the essential Turkey Day ingredients:

In Paris, there are a few places where you can find all the Turkey day fixings to make your own, special Thanksgiving celebration. It’s no surprise by the name, but the Thanksgiving American Market in Paris is THE place to find all of the holiday’s food and decorations (including cranberries, which the French don’t even know about). You can also get pre-roasted turkeys here or even have the whole meal with all the trimmings catered. This is also the place to go any time of the year if you are dying for an Oreo, are missing Bisquick biscuits or waffles or really want some Campbell’s soup.

Location: US grocery store & catering: 14, rue Charles V. Restaurant: 20 rue Saint Paul, 75004 Paris, 01 42 77 68 29

Find your local American Club:

Another safe bet is to seek out the American club in the city closest to where you are staying and find out if they are hosting any sort of special Thanksgiving day meal or celebration (they most likely are). There are American clubs in Paris, Lyon, the Riviera, Toulouse, Lille and Alsace. The American club of Lille, for example, has a Thanksgiving celebration where Americans can indulge in all of the traditional fixings for just 15 Euros.

Keep in mind…

Remember that while you may find some semblance of a Thanksgiving celebration in France, you should not expect for it to be the same as when you are stateside. While the French know food, they don’t know American food, so their non-traditional approach to very traditional dishes may not satisfy your craving for Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings.

You are also guaranteed to not be able to pass out in front of the couch and watch football, either, but c’est la vie. Plus, you might just end up with a killer cheese plate at the end (a welcome addition in my book). Just remember while your Thanksgiving in France may not live up to the holiday you know and love at home, there are plenty of things to enjoy in France that you simply cannot find in the U.S. (like the above mentioned pastries, cheese and pate).