A (Very) Short History of Etiquette in FranceĪlthough social norms and polite behaviors have been a feature in virtually every society throughout human history, in France it only became a concern of everyday, non-aristocratic citizens with the rise of the modern age, and a wealthy merchant class– or bourgeoisie- that wished to demonstrate their so-called “good breeding” and manners. But before we do, let’s briefly look back at how the concept started, to begin with. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s a good idea to sort through the realities (and myths) of the sort of etiquette you can be expected to observe as a visitor in France, hopefully allowing you to relax further during your stay. From my observations since (and from feedback travelers have offered), it seems to be working. Younger generations of French people (who often see themselves chiefly as Europeans) are generally multilingual, relaxed types who have gone a long way in making service culture (and the culture writ large) more open and flexible when it comes to interacting with visitors.Īnd in places like Paris, the local government and tourism board literally undertook an ambitious plan to make the city friendlier and less “intimidating” to visitors starting in 2013. What’s more, many of the old clichés about France and its culture no longer hold much water at all, if they once had more than a grain of truth. You may not be surprised to learn that TV and films are not exactly accurate barometers of cultural norms.
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