Magical Christmas Events in France
by Janine Marsh
Licques is about 40 minutes’ drive from Calais. The Fete de Dindes (Turkey Festival), sees hoards of turkeys parading through the streets of the town in an extraordinary celebration to honour the Christmas bird.
Accompanied by local dignitaries and brotherhoods decked out in all their splendour it’s an authentic, charming, colourful and memorable day out. Turkeys have been bred in this town since the Middle Ages and locally it is known as "Turkey Town".
This festival is also the place to go for a huge tented and fabulous gourmet Christmas market, full of local producers as well as from regions across France. It’s a great chance to taste and buy a variety of wines, champagne, cheese, meats, cakes, biscuits and sweets – pretty much all the French produce you’ll need to make it a proper gastronomic Christmas!
The gourmet market 2014 is held on 13 and 14 December, the turkey parade is on 14 December starting at about 11.00 a.m. Grab a glass of warm local liqueur called “licquoise” from the enormous cauldron in the high street and celebrate in style at this authentic, distinctly fun and delicious Christmas event.