Christmas in France
Christmas in France is a season for family and for charity, with family reunions, gifts and sweets for children, gifts for the badly off, Midnight Mass, and le Réveillon.
The holiday of Christmas in France varies by department. Many regions celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, which is a public holiday. However, in northern and eastern France, the Christmas season begins on 6 December, la fête de St. Nicolas, and in some provinces la fête des Rois* is one the more important holidays of the Christmas season. In Lyon, 8 December is la Fête de lumières, when the Lyonnais pay hommage to the Virgin Mary by placing candles in their windows which light up the village.
Categories: Living in France Tags: Christ, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Epiphany, France, French Christmas, Lyon, New Year's Day, Père Fouettard
Dead Fish… are they healthy?
Photo: ArunaR
It’s horrifying to read the papers these days.
All sorts of terrible illnesses and conditions seem to be on the increase, despite the best efforts of medical technology.
It makes you wonder about the diets and lifestyle of modern man. We’ve got old evils like polio and tuberculosis under control in this country… but new ailments are on the rampage.
Especially diabetes.
According to the organisation ‘Diabetes UK’, there are 1.8 million people with it. But there’s a million more who have it… but don’t even know it! What’s more, it gets more common as you get older. The average age of diagnosis for people with no family history of the illness is 52.
There are two basic types of diabetes…
“Type 1″ develops when the body is unable to produce any insulin. Sufferers need to take insulin to control their blood sugar levels.
“Type 2″ develops when you can’t produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly. This is the diabetes which usually appears in people once they pass 40 years old.
But I’ve got some good news for you. Protection from both kinds of diabetes can come in the form of a vitamin that’s not even a real vitamin!
“Why dead fish are the answer…”
Categories: Health Tags: Alzheimer's, Britain, chemicals, cod liver oil supplement, D, diabetes, energy levels, Finland, food, Gary Small, Great Britain, Health, medical technology, New Year's Day, polio, tuberculosis, UCLA Centre on Ageing, UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute, United Kingdom, United States, vitamin D