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.