religion in France
The most common religion that is practiced in France is Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism formed between the 1st-5th centuries C.E. It is said, that its history traces back all the way to when Jesus of Nazareth preached around Jerusalem. Roman Catholicism origin is in the Roman-Latin Empire. It was than later spread by many bishops who all separated across the world after Jesus’s resurrection. It was introduced to France in the 16th century, and has been practiced ever since. Some other religions that are practiced in France is Judaism, Orthodox, Protestantism, and Muslim. Although, it is only a small percentage of people who practice other religions besides Catholicism, because between 83-88% of the French are Catholic.
Although many French people claim to be Catholic, they do not practice as often in France. In fact, less than 5% of Catholics practice their religion in France today. This religion is a huge part of France’s social development, because it has been around for such a long time, and at one point the only religion that was allowed to be practiced. They consider their religion to be more of a cultural practice. "They celebrate Catholic holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and Epiphany, which is when the three wise men visit baby Jesus and gave him presents" (Zimmermann 2015).
France is filled with sacred places all over its land. These places are mostly cathedrals, and there are hundreds that are spread across France. The most famous cathedral in France is the Notre Dame. It has been there since 1345, and gets over 13 million visitors every year. Another sacred place in France is a small town called Lourdes. Lourdes is sacred to the French, because in 1858 a young girl named Bernadette had a vision of Virgin Mary. Over 5 million tourist visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady Lourdes each year.
The government and religion in France have had many connections throughout history. Long ago Catholicism has been the official religion, and the French were only allowed to be Catholic. After the French Revolution religion was under the state control, and was not separated from the state until 1905. This allowed citizens to practice other religions such as Protestantism, Judaism, Orthodox, and Muslim. Today the largest religion in France is Catholic since it was the only religion that was allowed to be practiced, because of the government.
When I visited France I was able to learn a lot about their religion and visit some of their famous cathedrals. I could tell Roman Catholicism was their main religion by all of the buildings that were spread across France. There are so many different sacred places such as cathedrals in France that is a constant reminder of their beliefs and customs. Roman Catholicism is a huge part in why France and its people is the way it is today, and why their culture and beliefs are so strong. Although Catholicism was forced among the French long ago, they still take pride it their religion and continue to practice it to this day.
Sources:
Library. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2016, from http://www.patheos.com/Library/Roman-Catholicism
Sacred Destinations. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/lourdes
Zimmermann, B. K. (2015). French Culture: Customs & Traditions. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/39149-french-culture.html
Religion in France. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2016, from http://about-france.com/religion.htm
This map above is a great image of all the culture in France. It also shows some of its greatest landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower. They also illustrate their hobbies and delicious foods they eat, such as cycling, wine, and croissants. The French culture is full of amazing these and this illustration does a great job showing it.
Source:
Le bistrot du FLE: Trois belles cartes de France. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://lebistrotdufle.blogspot.gr/2015/04/trois-belles-cartes-de-france.html
Source:
Le bistrot du FLE: Trois belles cartes de France. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://lebistrotdufle.blogspot.gr/2015/04/trois-belles-cartes-de-france.html
click this button and it will take you to a website that goes more into depth of the culture, customs, religion, and the people that make up France. It really gives you an understanding of the culture in France, and talks about many different topics.
http://www.livescience.com/39149-french-culture.html
http://www.livescience.com/39149-french-culture.html
This button will take you to a website that is full of information about France. It really goes in depth of the history, customs, and beliefs they have in France. You can learn a lot from this one.
http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/France.html
http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/France.html
As I was looking at each of these I charts I was very interested to see the change in the country over the few years. You can notice when France was in good and bad times by look at these statistics. As you can see in the top left figure that I chose the category population about the age of a woman's first marriage. This chart has shows that the age of the women increases over the years. Women were getting married at age 20 in France in the 1800s and in 2005 they were waiting until around 31, which is a huge jump in my opinion. In the bottom left chart this shows the change of children per woman, also in the category population. These statistics changed drastically over the years. In the beginning it was around 4.5 children per woman, it dropped down to 1.2 children, and at the end it was 2 children per woman. In the top right chart I chose the category work, and analyzed employment of anyone from the age 15 years or older. This statistic did not change very much over the years. The lowest percentage of employment was 48%, and the highest was 51%. In the bottom right corner I analyzed the unemployment rate of anyone from the age 15 years or older, which also fell into the work category. This statistics did not change drastically, but still had a decent amount of change. At the beginning of the timeline the unemployment was down to 8%, and by 2005 it increased to 13%.
Culture and Food in france
It is important to know that the foods in France are diverse and accessible throughout the different regions of France due to the cultural impacts and ingredients.
Moules à la Marinière
Fresh Mussels Steamed open in Wine and Flavorings
Ingredients
2 cups light, dry white win or 1 cup dry white vermouth
An 8- to 10-quart enameled kettle with cover
1/2 cup minced shallots, or green onions, or very finely minced onions
8 parsley sprigs
1/2 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons butter
6 quarts scrubbed, soaked mussels
1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
Directions
Bring all but the last two ingredients to boil in the kettle. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate its alcohol and to reduce its volume slightly.
Add the mussels to the kettle. Cover tightly and boil quickly over high heat. Frequently grasp the kettle with both hands, your thumbs clamped to the cover, and toss the mussels in the kettle and an up and down slightly jerky motion so the mussels will change levels and cook evenly. In about 5 minutes, the shells will swing open and the mussels are done.
With a big skimmer, dip the mussels into wide soup plates. Allow the cooking liquid to settle for a moment so any sand will sink to the bottom. Then ladle the liquid over the mussels, sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.
Background:
This dish originated in Belgium, and is popular around the world especially in France. It was created by combining mussels and fried potatoes together.
Religion and Food:
Religion in France has an influence on what should or should not be eaten. In France if you are Catholic you are not allowed to eat meat on Fridays, and if you’re Muslim you aren’t allowed to eat pork because it is considered taboo. There are some religious celebrations that have an influence on food such as the Fete de Chandeleur, which is a representation of Jesus. On December 24 and 25, the French people feast on foods such as foie grass, seafood, and buche de Noel which is meant to look like a Yule log for good luck.
How France gets their food:
In France, they have fertile soil provides fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, grains, and meat. France is also known for their fine wines, their soil is also suitable for growing grapes for the wine. Also, France is one of the largest importers and exporters in Europe, which is another way they get their foods.
Cooking Methods:
Traditional French cooking methods include six methods, which consists of:
- Flambéing – added alcohol to hot pan which produces a burst of flames
- Sautéing – frying food in small amount of oil
- Poaching – simmering food in wine, stock, or milk
- Grilling – oil covered food placed over direct heat
- Braising – uses small amount of liquid with lots of flavor to cook food
- Baking – dry heat in an oven to slowly cook food
Sources:
Food in France. (2012, March 22). Retrieved April 25, 2016, from ClassicFrenchman: http://classicfrenchman.blogspot.com/2012/03/food-in-france.html
France. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2016, from Food in Every Country: http://www.foodbycountry.com/Algeria-to-France/France.html
Moules à la marinière. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/08/flexing-my-food-neuroses-and-also-mussels/