This French Christmas character, the ‘whipping father’, said to accompany Santa on his rounds on 6th December, is fortunately no longer heard of much in French tradition.

Test Your French with a French Joke. Un canard entre dans une épicerie et demande au patron: “Vous avez de la nourriture pour canards ?” Le patron répond «Nous n’en avons pas. Ici nous vendons de la nourriture pour les gens. »

Originally named Paladdanum, meaning ‘Dan’s Palace’, Palalda is a pretty medieval pedestrian-only village with bar, 10th century church and a sprinkling of artists/craftspeople