Culture of Nord-Pas-de-Calais

The region has always been a crossroads of Europe, experiencing a great mix of population due to the various wars it has endured and the immigration it has attracted.

[2] More recently, Nord-Pas-de-Calais has experienced new cultural mixtures with the strong Polish immigration during the interwar period and from the 1960s when the regional industry recruited workers from the Maghreb.

Historically, Nord-Pas-de-Calais is at the linguistic border between Romance and Germanic languages, which, stemming from Frankish invasions, evolved at least until the 9th century.

Figures provided by the Churches and organizations themselves are also used, not only for the number of believers they claim but especially for elements indicating practices: regular attendance at Mass or fasting during Ramadan, or around "rites of passage" such as marriages and religious burials.

[10] This presence dates back to the early 1960s with the repatriation of Harkis after the Algerian War[11] and was extended by the recruitment of North African workers by coal mines and steel and textile industries in the 1980s.

[13] According to historian Jean-Pierre Wytteman, "the heritage of the North is also the struggle of men against fate," in a region that has experienced many trials.

"On December 6, 1519, the archives of the Historical Commission of the North tell us: "December 1519 – Being Saint-Nicolay's day presented to the schoolchildren's bishop, who thus celebrated his feast according to custom, two kettles of wine at viij s. the pot, xxxij s." In the Lille metropolis, children frequently received gifts on Saint Nicholas' Day (and not at Christmas) until the 1970s.

[18] The specialties of Nord-Pas-de-Calais cuisine are largely inherited from the County of Flanders; there is also, due to its history, English influence on the Opal Coast, or dishes of Polish origin in the mining basin.

In the 21st century, the region is experiencing a cultural revival supported both at the European and local levels, leading to initiatives such as Louvre-Lens, or in Valenciennes, the PhéniX, a symbol of rebirth.

In 2008, the film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (Welcome to the Sticks) achieved unexpected success by showcasing the popular culture of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

While the "Ch'tis" popularized Maroilles cheese[22] and chip stalls,[23] the cuisine of Nord-Pas-de-Calais remains largely unknown in French gastronomy, although some products such as Houlle juniper or Cambrai "bêtises" have been classified as "Gourmet Treasures of France.