00:00It's now time for our Entre-Nous segment, and today we're focusing on generosity,
00:05specifically the art of giving the French way.
00:08Solange Mougin joins me in the studio for more of this.
00:11Hi, Solange.
00:12Hi, Ginny.
00:13So, is there really a specific French way of giving?
00:14Well, the act of giving, of course, is universal, but there are a few traditions that are particularly
00:20strong here in France.
00:21But before we get into the particulars of French donations, of tax deductions, of les
00:27New Year's gifts, and overall how generous the French are or are not, let's dive into
00:32a burning gift-giving question that can be quite divisive at times in families.
00:38When do you give Christmas presents, on the 24th or on the 25th?
00:41In France, like in other nations, there is no one clear-cut answer, and to illustrate
00:47this, I have figures for you.
00:49Statistic Consumer Insights polled over 1,000 people in each of the following nations about
00:55this question of 24th or 25th.
00:56In France, they found that 38% opened their gifts on the Réveillon, or on Christmas Eve,
01:02versus 28% who wait for Santa to come on the 25th.
01:06It's important to note, as well, that some 34% said they have other traditions, like
01:10in my household, where after much negotiation, we do both, adults on the 24th, kids on the
01:1625th.
01:17Now, elsewhere, like in the U.S. and Germany, very few people open them on Christmas Eve,
01:22whereas in Brazil, most are die-hard 24-Decemberers.
01:26Again, here in France, like in the U.K., it is a mixed bag, and it is also an expensive
01:32bag as well, with the average budget just for presents ranging, in France, between 200
01:38and 400 euros, depending on the poll.
01:41I am Christmas Day all the way.
01:43Me, too.
01:44All right, so the holiday season, not just about giving gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas
01:48Day, for many people, it's also about giving to those who are less fortunate.
01:51Yeah, and France is not on the podium of being among the top three most generous nations.
01:57Those honors actually go to Indonesia, Kenya, and the U.S.
01:59This is according to the World Giving Index, which tracks if people volunteer, donate to
02:04charity, and help strangers.
02:06France is actually 100th on that list.
02:08But the French do give, and they're giving more and more.
02:11In December, the Unions of Associations and Foundation, the France Générosité, came
02:17out with its latest figures, and it found that in 2022, the French gave over 9 billion
02:22euros to charity.
02:23Of those donations, 58% came from private citizens, or 5.5 million households.
02:31Companies were also big actors here, contributing 42% of that 9 billion figure, or nearly 4
02:37billion.
02:38That sum was spread out over 142,000 businesses, then providing sponsorship and aid.
02:45Both individuals and companies do get tax write-offs here in France, with the deadline
02:50being the 31st of December, so there are quite a number of last-minute checks at this time
02:55of year.
02:56For individuals, tax deductions range from 66% to 75%, depending on the type of charity
03:02you give to.
03:03These laws are often called the loi Coluche.
03:06This is after the beloved French comic who created the food bank, Les Restos du Coeur,
03:11and pushed for such incentives to exist.
03:13Over the decades, such good deeds have actually caught on.
03:17In that recent France Générosité report, it found that individual donations have doubled
03:22since 2006, going from 320 euros to over 600 in 2022, with wealthy people and the elderly
03:32contributing the most.
03:33In regard to those that cannot spare an extra dime, there is always the possibility of giving
03:37of your time.
03:38Of course.
03:39Let's talk about vocabulary now, Solange.
03:40There are a lot of different ways in French to talk about giving.
03:44Yeah, there are.
03:45There's the word les étreintes, which I'll describe more in a moment.
03:49These are Christmas gifts or New Year's gifts.
03:51Then there is don, or donation, but also l'aigle, which is a bequest.
03:56Then there's the less-used aumône, or alms, and au bol, or a meager offering, a pittance.
04:02And finally, there's pourboire, which is a tip that you can give, for example, after
04:07a meal in a restaurant.
04:08Such daily pourboires, or tips, are commonplace here in France, but they are not, say, a requirement,
04:15or somewhat of a requirement, like they are in the United States.
04:17Okay, so that's for the vocabulary.
04:19So in practice, during the holidays, do French people give gifts to people who aren't their
04:23immediate friends and family?
04:24Well, of course, there are donations, which we've talked about.
04:27Then there are these things, these les étreintes.
04:29And this is a tradition of giving a little something to service workers.
04:32They date back to the Roman Empire, when it was a sprig of verbena branches.
04:37These gifts were then outlawed during the revolution, but they kind of stuck on.
04:41They were outlawed because they were thought of as corruption.
04:44The tradition continues today, nonetheless, especially towards les concierges, or building
04:49managers, who back in the day often would receive 10% of a tenant's rent in cash.
04:57Some give 150 francs, others 50 francs, others 200.
05:02Some are really nice to us, and from others we get nothing.
05:05Do you give the same services?
05:07No, not at all.
05:08But you help everyone.
05:09Everyone, but those that give nothing, get nothing.
05:13Sounds like my concierge.
05:14I don't have one.
05:17There are fewer and fewer of these concierges or guardians, so the tradition is dying out
05:21a bit.
05:22But often a cash, and often actually a cash omelette can be replaced by a little bottle
05:27of wine or a little trinket.
05:29They do still exist, the cash omelettes.
05:31One thing that also continues, but could also potentially die out, is the sale of calendars.
05:36In France right now, you may see firefighters on street corners or going door-to-door selling
05:40calendars for the new year.
05:42This is a tradition that dates back to just after World War II.
05:45It is legal.
05:46As long as the firefighters have, they're okay from their hierarchy and are in uniform.
05:50The funds go to charities, to paying for the 14th of July balls, to La Micale, or these
05:55firehouse associations.
05:57Now the post office workers do also sell calendars, they have this tradition.
06:01But here the money goes directly to the postal worker, who has actually bought them out of
06:05pocket in advance to boost his or her often meager salaries.
06:10The same goes for les ébroueurs, or street cleaners and garbage workers.
06:14Here though, many cities actually warn people about swindlers and impostors.
06:19In Paris, for example, it is illegal to have ébroueurs or street cleaners go door-to-door.
06:23So you have to be a bit wary of that at times.
06:27But all the same, one of the amazing things on the whole about generosity of all sorts
06:31is the effect that it can have on the giver.
06:34Studies show that one of the fastest ways to become happier is through generosity.
06:38Oh, I love that.
06:39All right, Solange, thank you so much for that.
06:41Solange Mugendre with that look at how people give here in France.
06:44Thank you very much.
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