Fighting for Saint Nick - Today’s French

Se disputer Saint-Nicolas - Le français d’aujourd’hui

There are 2 Santas in France: Saint-Nicolas, celebrated on December 6 in Eastern France and Le Père Noël (petit papa noël), on December 25 all over France.

This lesson is about Fighting for Saint Nick - 2 départements, Alsace and Lorraine are fighting to know who ‘owns’ Saint Nick.

Read along

This is the beginning of an article from Le Monde. Saint Nick, who brings candy to children in Eastern France on December 6 seems to be a money making event as well as the popular holiday we know.

Lisez et écoutez en même temps – Read and listen at the same time. If you are more advanced, you’ll improve your French by translating the text and checking with my translation.

Texte

POINT D’ÉPICE – L’Alsace et la Lorraine se disputent Saint Nicolas.

La querelle va-t-elle gâcher la fête, s’interroge Le Parisien ? L’an dernier, la Lorraine a déposé le nom de Saint Nicolas, patron des écoliers…

Translation

‘GINGERBREAK’ – Alsace and Lorraine are competing for Saint Nick.
Will the quarrel spoil the holiday, Le Parisien newspaper asks? Last year, Lorraine filed the name of Saint Nicolas, patron saint of schoolchildren.

Original Article

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