January 8, 2011

Cadeaux de Noël

This Christmas was my first Christmas with FBF, and although we spent the actual day apart (me in CA and him in le Nord), I still got a lesson in French dating.

While trying to find a place to live, I was hébergé (housed, home-stay style) chez FBF’s Maman (mommy). As a thank you, I decided to bring her back some Christmas presents from my trip to California.

My gifts were not the thank you I had intended. La Maman, FBF told me, had bought me Christmas presents as well. I was now going to have to do a gift exchange.

Before now, I had never bought nor received a gift of any kind from the parents of a significant other. My gift was simply a thank you present disguised as a Christmas gift. Her present, on the other hand, was simply a Christmas present.

La Maman, as it turned out, was only the beginning. Soon thereafter, FBF informed me that his sister also wanted to buy me a Christmas present.

A few days later, I found out that FBF’s cousin, whom I’ve met a maximum of four times, also bought me a Christmas present.

Last, but not least, and completely unannounced, FBF’s brother and sister-in-law, whom I’ve never met, also bought me Christmas presents.

Having not yet even made the one-year mark with FBF, this whole gift giving with the famille (family) thing made Christmas seem a little bit more serious than I had anticipated. Then I remembered that the French don’t date, they relationship.

I should have seen this coming, what with kissing a guy once making him your boyfriend, and being introduced to family members after only three weeks of dating, naturally I would be receiving Christmas gifts from family members inconnues (unknown).

8 comments:

  1. Yup! Right on target! The American notion of dating is very foreign to the amorous French.

    You're catching on quickly, though, m'dear!

    Ciao from Aix en Provence,
    Leslie

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  2. Hey Leslie! Although I've been relationship-ing my French guy for a while now, it still catches me off guard sometimes how serious everything is with the French and dating!

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  3. I have tried to explain dating to my French husband, and he doesn't understand it at all. I guess with them you're either in or out.

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  4. Hey Sara Louise! I totally agree. There doesn't seem to be a trial period with them.

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  5. I've been scrolling through your posts - love the advice on French relationships! It's so strange how cultural dating is! btw YOU'RE HYSTERICAL. I received an xmas present from a French boy, and I was ASTOUNDED! Maybe they have a thing about gifts?

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  6. Hey Brenna! Thank you! I'm glad you like the blog :) They are so crazy about gifts over here! Although if you got a gift from this French boy you should be careful; he probably wants to marry you and make a million francoamerican babies!

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  7. hey! i just found your blog and got totally sucked in... I live in the north of france aswell, with my french hubby. I totally agree, dating is sooo different with a french guy, after 2 weeks your there girlfriend lol

    and i read your other blog about meeting people on the internet, my french friend just met his new girlfriend online... which i also think is weird lol. but it is definitly more common for young people to do that in france.

    Isadora
    (i dont have a account so im using the hubby's lol )

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  8. Hey Isadora! Welcome to my blog! I'm glad you're enjoying it :) The French just don't date, haha. But I guess it makes sense then that they'd love internet dating sites, as those are for "serious" couples. I'm happy to meet another nordiste!

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