Welcome to the top 10 bizarre roundup of France’s most jaw‑dropping quirks. From laws that let you wed a deceased lover to strange rules about breathalyzers, these tidbits are as fascinating as they are odd. Whether you’re planning a trip or just love weird trivia, strap in for a wild ride through French eccentricity.
10 You Can Legally Marry A Dead Person
Believe it or not, the expression “till death do us part” can work in reverse in France. Since the 19th century, the country has recognized necrogamy—marriage between a living person and a deceased partner. While the practice existed for decades, it surged during World War I when many women married soldiers who fell in battle.
Back then, most of the unions involved women tying the knot with boyfriends killed on the front lines, ensuring any unborn children would be legitimated as the soldier’s heirs. The law served a very practical purpose: safeguarding lineage and inheritance.
The modern incarnation of necrogamy emerged in 1959 after the tragic Malpasset Dam disaster claimed 423 lives. Irene Jodar, engaged to victim André Capra, wrote to President Charles de Gaulle asking for permission to marry her late fiancé. De Gaulle granted the request, cementing the legal framework we see today.
Strict conditions govern these post‑mortem unions. The couple must have already begun wedding arrangements before one partner passed away, and the surviving spouse must present a compelling reason—often pregnancy—to justify the marriage. These safeguards aim to prevent frivolous or exploitative ceremonies.
Even after the ceremony, the living spouse cannot inherit the deceased’s property or any settlement. However, they are entitled to the pension or life‑insurance benefits of the dead partner. Women may also adopt the surname of their late husband, and the official marriage date is recorded as the day before the partner’s death.
9 The Government Banned English Words
France has long been protective of its linguistic heritage, and in 1966 President Charles de Gaulle took a bold step by outlawing the introduction of new English terms into French. To enforce this, he created the Commission d’enrichissement de la langue française, tasked with inventing French equivalents for every incoming Anglicism.
The commission’s track record is impressive. It swapped “e‑mail” for courriel, “dark web” for internet clandestine, and “Walkman” for baladeur. Even “fake news” now lives as infox, and the ubiquitous “hashtag” became mot‑dièse. These replacements keep French media distinctly Francophone.
Not every attempt succeeded, though. The commission struggled to find a fitting French term for “smartphone.” Early suggestions like ordiphone and terminal de poche fell flat with the public. Today, the device is commonly referred to as “mobile multifunction,” a pragmatic compromise.
8 The Viager System Is Your Sure Bet To Get A House
Forget conventional mortgages—France offers the viager system, a hybrid of gambling and real‑estate financing. In a viager deal, a buyer pays a lump‑sum up‑front to the seller, then continues with modest monthly payments until the seller passes away. Only then does the buyer obtain full ownership of the property.
This arrangement is essentially a high‑stakes wager on longevity. Prospective buyers often scout the seller’s health, looking for signs of frailty or even checking medication cabinets to gauge life expectancy. The gamble is real, and the stakes can be high.
Some savvy sellers have learned to feign ill health, covering their legs with cloths or lounging passively to suggest they won’t outlive the buyer. This thin‑line deception can tilt the odds in the seller’s favor, ensuring they collect payments for as long as possible.
Buyers aren’t guaranteed a win. If they miss a monthly payment, they forfeit the property, and the seller can relist the home under another viager contract. Conversely, if the buyer dies before the seller, the buyer’s heirs inherit the payment obligations, risking the loss of the home.
A famous case involved Jeanne Calment, who entered a viager agreement with her lawyer André‑François Raffray in 1965. Calment was 90; Raffray, 45, thought he’d secure a bargain. He paid a sizable upfront sum plus 2,500 francs a month. Calment lived to 122, outliving Raffray by two years, and the total paid exceeded the house’s value by more than double.
7 The Tontine Is The Ultimate Life Insurance
If the viager feels like a gamble on a house, the tontine ups the ante by mixing gambling with insurance. Participants pool money into a common fund, each receiving a share of the interest. When a member dies, their share of the interest is redistributed among the survivors, and the cycle repeats.
The ultimate survivor—who outlives every other member—cashes in the entire accumulated interest, while the state claims any remaining principal. This system was devised by Italian financier Lorenzo de Tonti in the 17th century and quickly adopted by Louis XIV to fund his endless wars.
Tontines crossed the Atlantic and flourished in 19th‑century America. By 1905, nine million tontines existed, serving roughly half of the U.S. population. They provided a crucial source of income for many families before modern pensions took hold. Over time, however, their popularity waned as financial regulations tightened.
6 The Government Forces Radio Stations To Play French Songs
In the 1990s, France’s cultural ministry declared that 40 percent of all radio airplay must feature French‑language tracks performed by French artists. The law aimed to protect the national language from English‑language domination and preserve home‑grown talent.
The quota created a bizarre radio landscape: stations often looped the same handful of French hits repeatedly to meet the requirement. Ten songs ended up filling 75 percent of the broadcast day, while listeners grew restless, yearning for the global pop they were accustomed to.
Audience pushback intensified as streaming services, which ignored the quota, stole listeners away. Critics argued that lawmakers themselves had financial stakes in the music industry, explaining the law’s persistence. In protest, French stations halted French‑song airplay for an entire day in 2015, prompting the government to relax the quota to 35 percent and limit the repeat‑play of the most‑played songs.
5 Drivers Are Technically Required To Have Breathalyzers
France tried a novel approach to curb drunk driving in 2012 by mandating that every vehicle carry a calibrated breathalyzer. The idea was simple: drivers would test themselves before hitting the road, reducing accidents caused by intoxication.
The law sparked controversy because its chief advocate, Daniel Orgeval, also headed I‑Test, a lobbying group promoting the measure. Orgeval’s company, Contralco, was one of only two French manufacturers meeting the stringent standards for these devices. Critics claimed the legislation was a thinly veiled scheme to boost sales for a single domestic producer.
Public opinion remained split. While the law was briefly suspended in early 2013, it resurfaced later that year. Today, there is no actual penalty for driving without a breathalyzer, making the rule more symbolic than enforceable.
4 Drivers Cannot Use Phones, Even When Parked
In 2018, France introduced a law that bans drivers from holding a phone in their hand while their vehicle is parked on the roadside, even if the engine is off. The regulation aims to curb distracted behavior, treating a parked car as still being under the driver’s control.
Under the rule, motorists may only use their phones when they have pulled into a designated parking area or a proper garage. If a vehicle breaks down on the side of the road, the driver may make a call, but any other handheld use incurs a penalty.
Violators face a €135 fine (about $167) and three points on their driving record. The law reflects France’s broader commitment to road safety, even if it seems over‑reaching to some drivers accustomed to pulling over and answering a call.
3 French Law Forbids Taking Photos Of The Eiffel Tower At Night
Ever wondered why you rarely see night‑time shots of the Eiffel Tower online? The answer lies in copyright law. The tower’s dazzling illumination, installed in 1985, is classified as an artistic work, meaning it’s protected for the creator’s life plus 70 years after death.
Gustave Eiffel, the tower’s engineer, died in 1923, and the structure itself entered the public domain in 1993. However, the lighting design remains copyrighted, making unauthorized night‑time photographs technically illegal.
Photographers can capture the tower during daylight without issue, but any image featuring the illuminated night‑time display requires permission from the rights holder, a rule that has stifled countless Instagram posts and tourist snapshots.
2 Animals Require Tickets To Travel By Rail
In France, even your furry companions need a ticket to hop aboard a train. The SNCF charges €7 for animals under six kilograms, while larger pets pay half the price of a second‑class seat. Guide dogs are the sole exemption, traveling free of charge.
A quirky incident made headlines when a traveler attempted to bring a handful of snails without tickets. The conductor insisted on a €5.10 fee for the mollusks, which the passenger paid—only to have the railway later refund the amount. The episode highlighted the sometimes absurd application of the rule.
1 The Government Issues Awards To Families That Successfully Raise Children
On May 26 1920, France introduced the Médaille d’honneur de la famille française, an honor bestowed upon women who raised at least four children on their own. The award recognized mothers whose husbands had perished in World War I, leaving them to support large families alone.
The medal came in three grades: gold for eight or more children, silver for six or seven, and bronze for four or five. Exceptional widows with three children could also receive a bronze version. Widowers became eligible only in 1983.
One of the earliest male recipients was the Catholic priest Père Mayotte, who adopted and raised six children after their mother, his former housekeeper, died. Today, the decoration is known as la Médaille de la Famille, and only the bronze grade continues to be awarded.