{"id":803,"date":"2008-11-20T12:22:16","date_gmt":"2008-11-20T16:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/?p=803"},"modified":"2012-12-24T15:56:33","modified_gmt":"2012-12-24T19:56:33","slug":"christmas-markets-are-a-must-see-tradition-in-the-south-of-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/20\/christmas-markets-are-a-must-see-tradition-in-the-south-of-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas markets are a must-see tradition in the South of France"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\"Photo\n\t
Photo of a Christmas Market in the South of France<\/div>\n<\/div>The holiday season is the perfect time of year to visit France.<\/strong> A country steeped in tradition, there are many types celebrations that take place throughout the month of December, all leading up to Christmas.\u00a0 The Christmas markets are a perennial favorite<\/strong>, and while the largest one may be in Strasbourg, the South of France has some great markets as well, in Menton and Avignon<\/strong>.\u00a0 Thanks to New York Habitat\u2019s wide range of accommodations in the South of France<\/a>, markets in both towns are easily accessible this December!<\/p>\n

Christmas markets date back to the Middle Ages and began in the Germanic parts of Europe, but quickly spread throughout the continent.<\/strong> You will usually find a nativity scene <\/strong>among the many stalls selling food (roasted chestnuts), drink (hot mulled wine), and handmade toys and ornaments among other things.<\/strong> However, every market is different and manages to include some local flavor with the traditional.<\/p>\n

\n\t\"Avignon<\/a>\n\t
Avignon accommodation: 2-bedroom apartment in the South of France<\/div>\n<\/div>In Menton, a town along the French Riviera\u00a0near Nice<\/a>, the theme of this year\u2019s Christmas market is \u201cLes Comptines\u201d or nursery rhymes.<\/strong> The French Riviera offers attractions all year long<\/a> but Christmas time is an especially fun period in the area. Running from December 12th to January 4th, these festivities will delight children and the child within.\u00a0 Animatronic figures act out some classic French nursery rhymes and there\u2019s even a small train to guide you through them all.\u00a0 Also for the kids, there are daily shows featuring clowns or puppets and short classes to make Christmas decorations.\u00a0 For the kid in all of us, there is an ice skating rink, a Ferris wheel and other carnival rides.\u00a0 And don\u2019t forget to stop by the market itself to enjoy warm crepes or hot chocolate and to pick up some unique souvenirs!<\/p>\n

The Provincial town of Avignon takes a more traditional approach to its annual Christmas market festivities. <\/strong>Throughout the month of December, you will find shop and food stalls set up around the Place de l\u2019Horloge in the center of town.\u00a0 Folk dancers, dressed in traditional costumes, will perform, but Santa will also be around to greet the children.\u00a0 Walk down the \u201cChemin des cr\u00e8ches\u201d, an alley of large, animated and lighted nativity scenes.\u00a0 Avignon truly uses its history to its advantage since all of this takes place right by the Palais des Papes, the seat of Catholicism for much of the 14th century! For more travel tips about Avignon<\/a>, check out our dedicated section of the blog.<\/p>\n

\n\t\"Menton<\/a>\n\t
Menton apartment: 1 bedroom apartment in the South of France<\/div>\n<\/div>New York Habitat offers accommodations in\u00a0Avignon<\/a> as well as apartment rentals on the French Riviera<\/a> so that you can enjoy\u00a0both Menton and Avignon\u00a0 Christmas markets.\u00a0 Maybe one of these will suit your needs:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This 1 bedroom rental in Roquebrune Cap Martin, French Riviera (PR-699)<\/a> is not far from Menton or the beach!\u00a0 The charming apartment is brightly decorated to match the fantastic Mediterranean sunlight!<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This 2 bedroom maison de village rental in Avignon (PR-137)<\/a> is perfect the spot to take the whole family on vacation.\u00a0 The apartment may be newly renovated but the classic touches, such as exposed wooden ceiling beams, remain and so does the provincial charm!<\/p>\n

A trip to a Christmas market is a wonderful tradition to add to your holiday vacation.\u00a0 The wonderful markets put on by the towns of Menton and Avignon are great reasons to visit these areas of the South of France, whether you\u2019ve never been or even if you\u2019re a frequent flyer.\u00a0 Let New York Habitat provide you with a luxurious vacation apartment and really make this holiday season a memorable one! And as your guide, New York Habitat has a whole blog of South of France travel tips<\/a> for you.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favorite part of the holiday season?\u00a0 Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to visit France. A country steeped in tradition, there are many types celebrations that take place…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[46],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=803"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1666,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803\/revisions\/1666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}