Are you due a free Christmas parcel from your mairie in France?
Mairies distribute festive parcels containing food and other goodies
The parcels are widely distributed
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France is gearing up with Christmas less than a month away.
Despite France’s adherence to laïcité (separation of state and religion) it is one of the most beloved holidays in the annual calendar with many public organisations offering special services.
This includes La Poste’s service for children to write letters – and receive a reply – from Père Noël.
Read more: How children in France can write to ‘Père Noël’ for Christmas
There are also other special Christmas services in place for older residents in France including the colis de Noël.
This sees older residents receive a free parcel during the holiday season from their local mairie.
The parcels usually include food such as local delicacies, jams, pâtés, sweet treats, and sometimes a bottle of wine, with the products intending to be long-lasting and easy to transport and consume.
Others can include a large single present (such as a perfume or vouchers) or a more practical gift to help recipients in their day-to-day lives.
Will I receive a parcel?
Local mairies are behind the scheme organising the creation (or purchasing) and distribution of the parcels themselves, sometimes in association with local groups.
In most cases the list of recipients is automatically created by the mairie, which has information of all its inhabitants and can see who fulfils the requirements.
These vary between communes with the minimum age to receive the present averaging between 65 and 70 years.
Some mairies have additional conditions including financial limits (with wealthier households not receiving a gift) or only providing one gift per household if there are two eligible recipients living there.
In certain rare cases, mairies require people to sign up to receive a colis de Noël via an inscription on their website or in-person at the town hall but this practice is rare.
If you believe you are eligible but are not receiving a parcel you can contact your mairie to see their requirements.
Do not worry about receiving a parcel as a second-home owner and not being there to collect it – mairies are likely to have knowledge of which properties are second homes as these are subject to taxe d’habitation and will not distribute parcels there.
Read more: What is ideal calendar donation for French firefighters and postal workers?
