Christmas spirit is lacking

I am a French national born in Marseille, but lived in the UK most of my working life where I married an Englishman.

Since retiring and moving back to France with my husband in 2006 we have lived in Hautes-Alpes and, now, Haute Var and found Christmas here is not a patch on what we had in the UK.

There is not the same atmosphere and Christmas Day itself is a non- event for most of the French we know. Only the expats seem to enter into the real spirit of the season.

M.J, Haute Var