Easter Chocolate in Paris - Why do the French Have Bells?

Spring in Paris brings vibrant and colourful displays of artisanal chocolate shops. Bustling with activity in preparation for Easter season, it's one of the busiest times of the year.

Just what are the Easter traditions in France? Let's explore the variety of chocolate shapes, from bells to eggs, hens, chicks - even fish.

What are The 4 Traditional Chocolate Shapes for Easter in France?

Traditionally, the four most common chocolate shapes seen in France during this time are: Easter eggs, bells, hens/chicks and fish.

These beautifully crafted sculptures can be found adorning the windows of bakeries, pâtisseries, and chocolateries. Plus, while the variety of eggs alone is enough to make one's mouth water, it's the significance behind the bell-shaped chocolates that truly captures the essence of French Easter celebrations.

Every year, even more animals feature; such as bears (particularly in 2024), cats, dogs, lambs, pandas, pigs, ducks, mice and bees. In fact, it's often a circus!

Why do the French have Bells at Easter?

So, who brings the eggs on Easter in France? According to French folklore, the bells (les cloches) bring the chocolate on Easter (cloches de Pâques).

This is why you'll see so many bell-shaped chocolates during this time. As the Church bells stop ringing from Good Friday until Easter Sunday morning to mourn the death of Jesus, they are said to fly all the way to the Vatican in Rome.
Once blessed by the Pope, the bells return to France, joyously pealing as they drop chocolate eggs in gardens along the way.

Even for French children, the idea of bells bringing chocolate can seem a little absurd. Perhaps as parents we simply poorly described it! So imagine trying to explain this to your kids?

So, the church bells flew all the way to the Vatican, were blessed by the Pope to help everyone in mourning, then returned to hide chocolate - with no hands!

from the Easter Bells

Does the Easter Bunny Exist in France?

While the Easter Bunny is not part of French Easter traditions, bunnies have been hopping into boutiques over the years, adding to the whimsical atmosphere. Hop into Christophe & Julie Roussel in Montmartre, Ladurée for pink bunnies or Pierre Marcolini.

And let's not forget the charming mice, which play a role similar to the tooth fairy in French folklore.

What is Poisson d'Avril?

Have you noticed the abundance of chocolate fish in Parisian chocolate shop windows at the end of March and beginning of April? 

This playful tradition is tied to April Fool's Day, known as Poisson d'avril in French (pronounced 'pwa-song dav-reel'), where people may find colourful paper fish taped to their backs as part of playful pranks.

French Mum case study: there was one year I discovered that, after various not-so-discrete pressing into my back, I had been modelling a primary school wall of taped paper fish. Antoine, my husband, was less gullible with only one!

Why do the French Eat Chocolate Fish at Easter?

The fishy story remains rather unclear. Various sources cite the most popular: it dates back to the 16th Century when Charles IX changed the New Year to 1st January.

Until then in France, the New Year started around 1st April. To celebrate the arrival of spring, symbolised by the zodiac sign of Pisces, fresh fish was served, leading to the humorous tradition of pinning fish on unsuspecting individuals.

Mini Chocolate Fish - Fritures

French chocolatiers offer a wide selection of chocolate fish and seafood shapes called fritures, perfect for celebrating Poisson d'avril on April 1st. They garnish the insides of the bigger Easter eggs or are sold in sachets to eat 'comme ça', as is.

If you're in France, ensure you have a stock of them
for 1st April, Poisson d'avril.

Chocolate Easter Eggs in Paris

In Paris, chocolate Easter eggs remain a popular choice, symbolising the Easter Sunday Resurrection and the emergence of new life.

High-end chocolatiers and confectioneries showcase a variety of egg designs, from elegant and artistic to fun and whimsical themes.

Again this year, high-end chocolate boutiques, confiseries (candy shops), pâtisseries to top hotels have created their eggs from simply chic, amusing, to popular characters, or impressive giant artistic sculptures.

Many have a popular theme for 2024 called 'Éclosion', as if the eggs have exploded, with a gap in the middle.

Jacques Genin normally goes wonderfully wild with a vivid, brilliant lacquered look for his masterpieces with more fish and hens to choose from.

Now Jade Genin continues her father's chocolate traditions with her own chocolate shop on l'avenue de l'Opéra - just next door to Cédric Grolet. Spot blue-themed Easter eggs, elephant sculptures to simplistic little eggs with flat hens on top.

Looking for low glycemic index chocolate eggs? Well the Éclosion is a perfect choice for diabetics (types 1 & 2) in Paris at Les Belles Envies - see more in my article on Pâtisseries for Diabetics in Paris.

Why are there so Many Chocolate Chicks and Hens in Paris?

During the 40-day Christian tradition of Lent, meat or eggs were not allowed to be eaten. Nevertheless, hens continued to lay their eggs! So by the time Easter arrived signalling the end of Lent, there were so many eggs to be used.

Chocolate versions simply symbolised them, plus the rolling of the eggs. Modern chocolate chicks are in the windows of Alain Ducasse around Paris, plus Patrick Roger always has pretty lifelike chicks (poussins).

Many hens are garnished with miniature eggs and fritures - either plain or with praline. Hens are featured everywhere really.

Love pralines? Head to Pascal Caffet, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, aka the King of praline, using hazelnuts from Piemonte. See much more in my article on his art.

Meanwhile, here's an idea for a chocolate hen. Make this lemon Easter cake and have fun decorating it with macarons and mendiants.

Limited Edition Easter Chocolate in Paris

Pastry chefs from Paris's Palace hotels release their limited edition chocolate sculptures for Spring (in February). Such creations include spectacular works of art, some animated, but are only available to order for a limited time.

Highlights for 2024 include:

• Le Moulin de Paques (animated egg windmill) by Maxime Frederic (Cheval Blanc);
• Matthieu Carlin's Easter Egg with feathers (Hôtel de Crillon);
• Anne Coruble's L'Éclosion of blown Bohemian crystal (Le Peninsula);
• Opéra Fa, resembles a musical easter egg box by Laurent André (Café de la Paix);
• A dried fruit theme featuring life-like nuts by Cédric Grolet (Le Meurice Paris);
• Naraé Kim's Oeuf Bijou, resembling drawers (Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme);
• Maxence Barbot's Bénitier egg in the shape of a shell with a winning hidden pearl of sugar to be found (Shangri-La, Paris).

I'll leave you with this giant chocolate egg blow-fish sculpture by Patrice Chapon. More on his chocolate in my article on rue du Bac. He's now also in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, just 20 minutes from Paris. With the Olympics this summer 2024, we may need an excuse to get out of the City!

See more at my DIY guide to
Saint-Germain-en-Laye's chocolate and pastry.

As the city comes to life with the sights and sounds of Easter, it's impossible not to be swept up in its magic. So, take a walk around Paris and be captivated by the deliciously charming traditions that make French Easter truly unique.

This post was originally published 21 March 2016 but has again been updated.