We continue our visit to Malicorne with Olivier, who speaks with Dominique Bourneuf, the owner of the Petite Auberge (Little Inn) restaurant and president of the artistic trades association. Besides the many art and crafts events organized in Malicorne, there's also a world record event planned for April.

According to Lionel, we hear far too much about Charlie Hebdo and not enough about Le Canard Enchaîné, which is about to celebrate its centenary in 2016. This quality satirical newspaper is in a similar vein to Charlie Hebdo. Both papers even shared the same cartoonist, Cabu, who sadly did not survive the January attack on Charlie Hebdo. Le Canard Enchaîné was no stranger to extremist threats either.

La Roche-sur-Yon, a friendly town near Brittany, is abuzz with Christmas activities. Local children are busy decorating the town Christmas tree with their own personalized ornaments. Santa is there, of course, taking toy orders. The mayor is also involved and has the town hall organizing ten days of festivities.

This nursery offers various species of Christmas trees to suit every taste and every budget. The traditional spruce tree of many French people's childhoods is still going strong, but the Nordmann fir has gained popularity. Species of trees with a bluish tinge or a nice pine tree fragrance are also available.

In this "Micro-trottoir" series, people share the best ways of showing kindness. Smiling and making sure to greet people with a smile, it seems, is a universal language. Kindness is an art.

In "Je suis Charlie" (I Am Charlie), Fabien Marsaud a.k.a. Grand Corps Malade commemorates the victims of the devastating attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. As the slam poet notes, "I prefer to pick up a pen because tonight I am Charlie."

In his brilliant song "Papaoutai" (Dad, Where Are You?), Stromae depicts the endless game of hide and seek that some children play with their fathers. Stromae (né Paul Van Haver), who was raised by his mother, lost his own father in 1994 to the Rwandan Genocide.

In this powerful music video, Grand Corps Malade puts a modern twist on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and even gives it a happy ending. You'll find a good amount of argot (slang) in the song lyrics, including some verlan, a form of slang that's very popular among French youth.

In his song "Le monde est beau" (The World Is Beautiful), Oldelaf's ironic take on social networking is bittersweet and not without humor.

In keeping with northern European traditions, Saint Nicholas visits local French schools to bring good cheer and some treats! Luckily, his partner Père Fouettard, who usually hands out coal to naughty children, is away looking after his sick donkey today.

Twenty-one thousand letters to Santa Claus were sent this year in Marseille. As if he didn't have enough on his plate, Saint Nick will send a handwritten response to each one, as long as their senders are on his "nice" list (and indicated their return address)!

It takes a lot to decorate the 31-meter high Christmas tree on Strasbourg's Place Kléber: ten technicians, two bucket lifts, 75 thousand lights. Luckily, the operation is being managed by Antoinette Pfimlin, who has 20 years of experience decorating giant trees in a hard hat.

Despite the cold weather, people are flocking to the opening of the Colmar Christmas market in Alsace. In this video, tourists talk shopping and vendors explain why they like to work at the Christmas market.

What is the French traditional holiday fare? You'd be surprised... While the classic turkey with chestnut stuffing is still on the menu, some people are getting off the beaten track, pairing classic dishes with ethnic food. Foie gras samosas, anyone? Or how about imitation caviar truffles?

This video describes a Christmas celebration at the Secours Populaire, an organization in France that helps underprivileged children and families, without passing judgment on their plight. Here they are celebrating Christmas with a big snack, gifts, chocolates, and a magic show.