For New Year's Eve, come join the mountain people of the Savoie region at the O’Communailles restaurant where good local food is being served with a twist in a convivial atmosphere. Then watch the happy locals dance the night away.

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.

The Musée des Abattoirs (Slaughterhouse Museum) in Toulouse devoted an entire exhibition to dub music, a subgenre of reggae. The exhibition featured a selection of Jamaican-style sound systems and culminated in a big dub concert.

At the Eco Habitat salon, Olivier Brunet from the "Terres Cuites de Courboissy" (Courboissy Terracotta) tile factory explains how they make floor tiles that are both eco-friendly and pleasing to the eye. One of their clients even had his floor tiles made to look three dimensional!

An exhibition called "Pottery through the Ages" is being held at La Châtaignère in Savoie, near the Alps. A friendly woman explains the history of pottery, from Ancient Egyptian artifacts to Biblical clay men to modern techniques.

The Lille Piano Festival is taking place in a subway station, where pianists bring music to the train commuters for their enjoyment and perhaps a gentle introduction to jazz and classical music.

Henri Griffon, an art enthusiast, puts his passion to work and brings together an amazing collection of contemporary artwork featuring the best artists from the Vendée.

In an archaeological park in Aussois, you can find some fascinating, mysterious rock engravings dating from sometime between the Neolithic Period and the Iron Age. Do the "armed dances" carved in the rocks represent a battle or a ritual? The tour guide in this video speculates on their possible meanings.

Nîmes is experiencing a revival thanks to extensive renovations of its main street, Allée Jean Jaurès. People show up en masse for its inauguration despite the rainy weather.

A group of high school friends from the Haute-Savoie town of Scionzier are trying to stop the destruction of a small farm building they discovered and restored. One of their efforts is the organization of a community yard sale for the town.

Margaux and Manon are playing shop. Margaux is the lucky customer buying shoes and Manon settles for second best, playing the shopkeeper. Now you're all set to go shoe shopping on your next trip to France!

Margaux and Manon recite "The Crow and the Fox," a famous fable by the French poet Jean de La Fontaine, and explain some of the more difficult lines for us. It's a good poem to memorize to improve your French!

When a film shoot comes to town, it often brings a lot of jobs along with it, from hiring locals as extras to enlisting the services of caterers, hotels, and other businesses. The numerous film shoots near the town of Saint-Cyr-du-Gault have supported the area's economy and put many people to work.

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.

A traditional Provençal Christmas would not be complete without the Santons Festival. In Marseille, you can wander through the downtown market and marvel at these Christmas clay figurines and enjoy the true spirit of Christmas.

Amerigo and his crew continue exploring the New World. Their water is almost gone. Fortunately, the river they're sailing on turns out to be the Amazon, so they won't die of thirst after all.

Amerigo Vespucci sets foot for the first time on the American continent. He collects all manner of plants and animals, only to drop them into the Amazon River.

Amerigo Vespucci sails for the New World to explore new territories discovered by Columbus, draw accurate maps, and find the true route to the Indies. As his ship approaches "Little Venice," or Venezuela, the crew comes into contact with some local natives.

Honfleur is a Norman town whose beauty was immortalized by the Impressionists. Come take a trip with Daniel Benchimol through this historic town that inspired an entire art movement.

It's back to the past, with the Once Upon a Time series. How did America get its name? Take a trip back to Renaissance Italy in this first episode of The Explorers to find out.

Rémy de Bores, an author and publisher, is a very busy man. In this video, he explains the intricacies of his profession and discusses his own books.