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13 French Laws You Won’t Believe Are Real (But They Are)
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13 French Laws You Won’t Believe Are Real (But They Are)

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Can you really marry someone after they’ve died?
Did a French wine village actually ban UFO landings? And why does ketchup need supervision in school?

In this guide, I open 13 true files about living in France—from posthumous marriage and forced heirship to UNESCO baguettes, radio language quotas, the single-letter commune “Y”, Verdun’s ghost villages, GEIPAN (France’s official UFO office), and the infamous ketchup protocol. If you’re moving to France or just obsessed with French culture, this is your shortcut to understanding how things really work here—minus the clichés, plus practical context.

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38 Comments

  3. @Milly-e3h

    Johnny, when are you going to get a goat? I had a goat named Goatee…and yes he had a beard lol. He was so comical, loving, and lived to be 16 years old. Big plus = he got along with my cats hint hint : D Love the new introduction, your funny delivery of important information and seeing the kitties again!

  4. @Cira-7727

    I didn't know the French actually put ketchup on fries! (I prefer them with mustard. Maybe you have better ketchup? Homemade it is actually good.)

    Forced heirship is interesting. I hear the EU wants to have a word. In the US, there are a few obvious reasons to disinherit a child. One is something like drug addiction or belonging to a cult–but you could set up a trust and have the trustee dispense the money. Another might be that the child's spouse is a huge spender, and you want to protect the child by giving to grandchildren instead. Or again you could use a trust. The last is a particularly American thing–France probably has a better way. If you have a disabled child, if you leave them too much money they will be denied government aid. Fine if you are wealthy, but for average people you can set up a special disability trust w/ enough money to supplement state aid, but it is really small. Like enough to provide niceties like movies and haircuts, not vacations.

    (Since France does not like trusts, I have wondered how people designate someone to manage your money and make health decisions when you become infirm. We have powers of attorney, which I am guessing is the method. But putting your assets in a trust and then naming a series of trustees is much easier when the time comes. They are also good for making sure your children don't inherit everything all at once when you die in a car accident and they are only 18.)

  10. @SergeCeyral

    Extremely funny and informative about some of our weird laws and rules! But, please, buy a REAL béret: the Oloron-Sainte-Marie factory has them…

  11. @Ksp1009

    Wonderful! On a very cold morning here in England, this video brought me much joy 😊 merci!

  14. @lanie-ok

    Where I live in Australia, it was law a hotel had to hostel your horse while you were there – which someone wickedly told me. So a friend and I, both under age and both female, during a ride dropped into the local pub for an orange juice – this was over 50 years ago – knowing they had lovely old stables.
    Yes, they grumpily stabled and watered the horses, which kindly pooped some rose fertiliser for them in return, although the pub only had a carrot and an apple to feed them with and we had to unsaddle ourselves as they didn't know how.
    Very soon after, the law changed. Obviously that publican knew Someone Important!

  19. @cherishp

    As a representative of the American Midwest, It looks like I’ll be tasked with filling the condiment gap with Ranch. I only hope I get bureaucratic priority over extra-terrestrial applicants when it comes to my long stay visa, otherwise it might become a reenactment of Polo & Pan’s Dorothy music video in front of the embassy. I’m kidding. Maybe. 😉

  20. @the_bohemian_drifter

    Shaking with laughter here 😂 and pleased to see the cats have finally been credited for their input lol!

    Whenever I mention I’ve bought a house in France and I’m moving there permanently sooooo many people of many different nationalities swoon and tell me how lucky I am – trust me I know 🙏

    I love to use the French ‘we ‘ now (not oui!) as in do you know that in France WE don’t allow/it’s the law that/it is totally acceptable that……… XYZ, this video just gives me more ammo lol!

    Yes I know it’s cheeky but I have so much respect for the French way of life 🇫🇷 I feel so lucky that I’ve got Irish citizenship and I get to live in a country that I love. A country where I’ve been made to feel so welcome as an immigrant, moving to France has honestly been the best decision of my entire life.

    Merci beaucoup Johnny for another epic production 😊

  21. @vero8893-e8r

    Fascinating! I'm still chuckling at "like the Magna Carta, but with a crispy crust". The moment I realized the high and deeply respected place good bread occupied in France is the moment I realized I had at long last found my people. Also, loved seeing les directeurs hard at work behind the scenes 🙂

  27. @jeffsherman91

    Not to be nit-picky (what IS the French term for that?) but trying to be helpful… we in English sometimes have silent letters just like the French. Heir is pronounced without the "H" sound… it is "air" whereas "hair" or "hare" are pronounced WITH the "H" sound.

    And I'm curious… what if little Timmy had been playing the drums loudly on SUNDAY? Could he be excluded from the will?

  29. @hasturx1

    la marinière, le beret, manque plus qu'une baguette sous le bras et vous passerez pour un bon étranger qui veut s'intégrer en France en vous regardant. La dernière fois que j'ai vu porter le bérêt c'était sur un militaire, un paysan aviné dans les années 70 ou un pseudo-artiste attrape touriste de Montmartre, quel cliché!

  32. @jetaddicted

    A funny legal anecdote that concerns my (French) family:
    In 1247, one of my direct ancestors was granted by royal decree, the right to have his animals graze on the lands of the monastery of Saint Nicolas Campagnat, sitting in the village of Sainte Anasthasie du Gard.
    Apparently, since both my family and this institution still exist, that I still have that document in my possession, and that said decree was never rendered null and void, I could still bring my own animals (as of now: Béber and Gazelle, two cats) over there.
    I always joke that I’ll do it someday.

  33. @larrykinglk

    Toujours admiratif de ton écriture. Epique, solennelle et déglinguée tout en restant sous total contrôle. Euh j'ai dit que c'était aussi à mourir de rire? C'est aussi à mourir en de rire. Trêve de blabla j'envoie le pépettes. Love.

  34. @taipontape

    This is exactly the kind of French-culture rundown I adore — weird laws, real history, and all the fun little quirks. It’s the perfect mix of useful and totally fascinating. 😅

  35. @lasserrefrancoise7093

    About the posthumous weddings : the goal after the catastrophy of the Malpasset dam was to ensure that a couple of pregnant fiancees would become wifes, and that their child would be legitimate and inherit from the father

  38. @CyrilleParis

    I French and I didn't know the law on baker's openings was abolished. I verified, it is somewhat recent : 2014. Nevertheless, most bakers still follow it on their on accord. Well done !

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