Les fêtes
Easter in France: the flying bells and the egg hunt
In France, the chocolate eggs come from bells, not a bunny. Church bells fall silent before Easter, and children are told they've flown to Rome. On Easter morning they fly home, dropping chocolate in gardens, and children hunt for it: la chasse aux œufs.
Joyeuses Pâques !
Happy Easter!
Say it zhwa-yuhz PAHK
Easter words
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Pâques | Easter | Say it PAHK |
| les cloches | the bells | Say it lay KLOSH |
| les œufs en chocolat | chocolate eggs | Say it lay ZUH ahn sho-ko-LA |
| la chasse aux œufs | the egg hunt | Say it la SHASS oh ZUH |
| le panier | the basket | Say it luh pa-NYAY |
| le jardin | the garden | Say it luh zhar-DAN |
| le lapin | the rabbit | Say it luh la-PAN |
| la poule | the hen | Say it la POOL |
Seven phrases for the hunt
- Les cloches sont passées ! The bells have been! Say it lay KLOSH son pa-SAY
- Prends ton panier. Take your basket. Say it prahn ton pa-NYAY
- Cherche dans le jardin. Look in the garden. Say it SHAIRSH dahn luh zhar-DAN
- Tu en as trouvé un ? Did you find one? Say it too ahn a troo-VAY UHN
- Il y en a encore ! There are more! Say it eel yahn a ahn-KOR
- On partage ? Shall we share? Say it on par-TAZH
- Pas avant le déjeuner. Not before lunch. Say it pa-za-VAHN luh day-zhuh-NAY
The flying bells
From the Thursday before Easter, church bells in France stay silent. Children are told the bells have flown to Rome. On Easter Sunday morning they fly back, ringing, and drop chocolate eggs, bells, hens and little fish in gardens as they pass.
What about the bunny?
The Easter rabbit, le lapin de Pâques, visits families in Alsace, in the east of France, and more and more homes everywhere else. Plenty of French children get both. Nobody complains.
The hunt
Easter Sunday morning is la chasse aux œufs: baskets out, garden searched, chocolate counted. Easter Monday, le lundi de Pâques, is a public holiday in France, which helps with the counting.
One thing to do tonight
Hide one egg, or one toy, in the living room and send your child to find it: Cherche ! Look! That’s a whole Easter rehearsal.
Free bedtime script
After the hunt, a calmer ritual
Ten bedtime phrases, the same every night, chocolate or no chocolate.
Ten bedtime phrases, each with a say-it guide, on one page for the bedroom door.
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Download it now (PDF)Questions parents ask
Who brings Easter eggs in France?
Traditionally the bells, les cloches de Pâques, flying back from Rome. In Alsace, in the east, a rabbit brings them, and many families now have both.
How do you say Happy Easter in French?
Joyeuses Pâques, said zhwa-yuhz PAHK.
Why are the bells silent before Easter in France?
As a sign of mourning for Jesus's death. They stay silent from the Thursday before Easter until Easter itself, and children are told they've flown to Rome.
What do French children do at Easter?
They hunt for chocolate eggs, bells, hens and fish on Easter Sunday morning, often in the garden.
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Updated 16 October 2026