Generally made from chocolate, these small candies wrapped in glossy paper can only be found in France, and only at Christmas time. Hidden inside the wrapper, which is done up in a very special way (see photo), is a little note on which is written a joke, a quote, and sometimes a “pétard” (a pétard in French is a firecracker, but in this case it is a device that makes a loud pop when opened). Nowadays they are available all over France, in every food or pastry shop or supermarket, but just forty years ago they were sold only in the city of Lyons (Rhône Department), where they were invented. As is often the case in France, they were born of a charming legend from the end of the 18th century. And as always in France, there is a love story involved; there was a young employee of a sweets shop who was in love with a beautiful girl who worked on the floor below. As they couldn't communicate easily, he had the idea of sending her love notes inside pieces of candy that were wrapped in a special way, so that she could easily recognize them.
But the owner of the shop, Mr. Papillot, discovered their secret, and fired the poor young man. However, he found the idea quite interesting, and thought it would sell well. Thus, the “papillote” was born…
L'histoire des papillottes
Ces sortes de bonbons, de petits chocolats le plus souvent, emballés dans un papier brillant, ne se trouvent qu'en France, et seulement durant la période de Noël. Caché e à l'intérieur de leur emballage plié de manière très spéciale (voir photo), se trouve une petite note sur laquelle est écrite une blague, ou une citation. Et un “pétard” ! Aujourd'hui on peut les trouver partout en France, dans n'importe quel magasin d'alimentation, pâtisserie ou supermarché, mais il y a seulement quarante ans elles n'étaient vendues que dans la ville de Lyon (département du Rhône), où elles ont été inventées. Comme souvent en France, une charmante légende, du XVIII e siècle, accompagne leur naissance. Et comme toujours en France, une histoire d'amour n'est pas loin. L'histoire d'un jeune commis d'une confiserie, qui était amoureux d'une belle fille qui travaillait à l'étage au-dessus. Etant donné qu'ils ne pouvaient pas facilement communiquer entre eux, il eut l'idée de lui envoyer des mots d'amour avec des bonbons emballés de manière spéciale, de sorte qu'elle les reconnaisse facilement.
Mais le propriétaire de la boutique découvrit leur secret, et renvoya le pauvre employé… Toutefois il avait trouvé l'idée intéressante, et pensa que cela pourrait bien se vendre. La papillote était née…
Listen here
Un conte, un rêve... Pour faire venir le père Noël This child's story is in French only, so that you and
your child can read in order to figure it out together.
Un conte de Juliette Vallery-Claire Mzali-Duprat et Isabelle Borne (Editions Milan).
Dans mon cœur, j'ai un secret, un secret bien caché.
Je sais – mais ne le répétez pas – comment faire venir le père Noël chez moi.
D'un pas léger, je grimpe sur le toit réchauffer le silence avec des cris de joie. Je l'attends, je le sens, il s'envole déjà…
Je file dans la forêt sans fin danser la sarabande au bras des vieux sapins. Je l'attends, je le sens, tout doucement, il vient…
J'éclabousse les fenêtres embrumées de mille et un dessins colorés. Je l'attends, je le sens, il va arriver…
J'invente d'incroyables festins pour régaler ses lutins. Je l'attends, je le sens, il n'est plus très loin…
Je cache des montagnes de chaussons aux quatre coins de la maison. Je l'attends, je le sens, il est à l'horizon…
Je lance deux pincées de poudre dorée, juste devant la cheminée. Je l'attends, je le sens, maintenant, il est tout près… Folle d'impatience, j'appellela nuit, et je glisse, cœur battant, au fond de mon lit. Je l'attends, je le sens, il vient par ici…
Trois fois, je compte les étoiles, au plus profond du ciel bleu. Puis je m'endors, un rêve au bord des yeux …
Choisi et lu par Alexandra
Listen here
The "Restos du coeur" Official government figures list more than 8 million poor people in France. The few of them you may see begging in the streets are but a small minority of these “marginaux”, and this figure doesn't include the “gypsies” who travel all around France, as they do elsewhere in Europe. In fact, the majority of the poor in France are families with children who have a difficult time making ends meet.
Many charitable organizations in France try to provide some help to them, especially in the winter when their living conditions are much worse, particularly for those who live in poorly heated apartments or shelters (see list). And they also try to provide some kind of a Christmas celebration with gifts for the children who, without charity, wouldn't get anything.
A specifically French organisation, “Les Restaurants du cœur” (Restaurants from the Heart), usually called Restos du cœur”, was created twenty-one years ago, in September 1985, by the popular humorist Coluche. Coluche became famous particularly for his really funny but caustic criticisms of the government. Nine months after the creation of the Restos du cœur, he died tragically in a motorcycle accident. He was only 42 years old. Coluche himself was born in a modest family, and as a young man barely got by on minimum wage odd jobs. He used to say: “Quand j'étais petit à la maison, le plus dur c'était la fin du mois. Surtout les trente derniers jours.” (When I was a child at home, the most difficult part was the end of the month. Particularly the last thirty days”), since, in France , salaries are usually paid at the very end of the month.
He thought it was a disgrace to see destitute people suffering from hunger and cold in winter time in a modern, prosperous country like France , and decided it was everyone's responsibility to help them. The result was his organization called “Les Restaurants du cœur”, which called on the solidarity and generosity of the entire population. Aside from personal donations from the public, a lot of the financial support comes from the annual fund-raising concerts held all over France by a group of popular French singers and actors who, for the occasion, are known as “Les enfoirés”.
During the first winter campaign, 5,000 volunteers served 8,5 million meals. Today, 45,000 volunteers provide 67 million meals every winter in 1,900 shelters or restaurants.
employee of a sweets shop who was in love with a beautiful girl who worked on the floor below. As they couldn't communicate easily, he had the idea of sending her love notes inside pieces of candy that were wrapped in a special way, so that she could easily recognize them. 
fond de mon lit. Je l'attends, je le sens, il vient par ici…
O
Coluche himself was born in a modest family, and as a young man barely got by on minimum wage odd jobs. He used to say: “Quand j'étais petit à la maison, le plus dur c'était la fin du mois. Surtout les trente derniers jours.” (When I was a child at home, the most difficult part was the end of the month. Particularly the last thirty days”), since, in France , salaries are usually paid at the very end of the month. 
