The art of Sunday à la française, otherwise known as “French Sunday,” has recently come to wider attention. With good reason: In France, the last day of the week is not reserved for chores or errands, but for resting, reflecting, reconnecting, and resetting. It’s for nurturing connections with family, friends, and yourself. In many regions of the country, most shops and services are closed, so there’s not much pressure to get a lot done anyway.
Sounds like the kind of day we could all use. Here’s how to make this delightful French concept your own, no matter where you call home.
What is French Sunday?
French Sunday isn’t so much a routine as a cultural state of mind. Though the French have long taken part in the practice of laissez-faire Sundays, the expression came into wider public awareness via social media, magazines, and podcasts fairly recently. The idea? Sunday should be a day of rest, and it must be protected from the efficiency and urgency that often permeates the rest of the week.
The French even have sayings that capture this directive, like “Que votre dimanche soit comblé de grâce, de paix, et de bénédiction,” which basically means “May your Sunday be filled with grace, peace, and blessings.”
Naturally, the concept relies on surrendering to deliberate slowness. Attention is paid to the body and mind, without the need for performance or urgency. “French Sundays are supposed to be lazy, stress-free days, when the main activity is to do nothing,” explains Emily Vernem, co-host of the podcast “Mamamia Out Loud.” Where other cultures might see Sunday as a productive extension of the week devoted to personal or administrative obligations, the French Sunday embraces spontaneity and pleasure. In France, it’s considered an essential break that allows for space to breathe. And, it’s non-negotiable.
How to adopt the French Sunday
First, you have to make the radical decision that you’re not going to maximize every minute of your Sunday—or, at least not in the traditional, hustle-culture way. You’re going to turn your alarm clock off, cancel hectic plans, and rely on your intuition and body to set the rhythm of your day instead.
You’re going to focus on simple yet intentional pleasures: lounging with a coffee that goes cold because you lingered over the newspaper too long. Taking a walk without a precise destination. Enjoying a lunch that stretches into the afternoon without an official end. Your going to put your phone on “do not disturb”—or, maybe you’re going to turn it off completely.
To drive home the point, below are some “activities” that could make up a really great French Sunday. You can do them wherever you live. And, at your own pace, of course.
- Sleep in. When you do get up, sit by the window with a cup of coffee and a pastry.
- Do self-care as slowly as you can: condition your hair, moisturize your skin, stretch.
- Cook something that takes forever, like a whole roasted chicken with lemon.
- Take a book and a blanket to the park and lounge in the grass.
- Wander a flea market or farmer’s market.
- Find a pretty view, sit down, and let your thoughts flow.
- Stroll aimlessly. The French even have a word for this: flâner.
- Take a ridiculously long nap, maybe with a few breaks for snacks.
- Visit a museum. Study each painting, sculpture, or exhibit without the need to figure anything out.
- Catch up with family over a ridiculously long lunch.
- Work on a puzzle while listening to music or chatting with a friend.
- See to two movies at an actual movie theatre, back-to-back.
- Make love.
In other words, the idea is to focus on anything that favors sensations over action, intuition over planning, and meandering over productivity. It’s about being present and savoring the moment, whatever it is. Dilly-dallying. Day-dreaming. Dawdling.
Most of all, it’s about embodying the softer side of life and yourself with the deep inner knowing that taking it easy is just as worthwhile as everything else.
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