- The writing of "20 Minutes" accompanies you during the holiday season. Big questions, small questions, real hassle? We answer you.
- Today, we wonder about what the future holds for us.
- "20 Minutes" asked experts to shed some light on what Christmas will be like in 2050.
Christmas has already been over for a few days, but it's a safe bet that we will have one again next year. And the one after, and the one after ... So, since the world is changing at a rapid pace (my good lady), let's see what this party could look like in 2050.
For this, take the example of Damien, 10, who is getting ready to go and spend the family holidays, December 24, 2050. He lives in Bouches-du-Rhône and takes the road, with his parents, to join his grandparents at the La Clusaz ski resort in Haute-Savoie.
Act 1 / An "electric" atmosphere
Leaving the Vitrolles pavilion, little Damien does not want to wear a cap, and as we understand: the mercury rises to 12 degrees, this December 24, 2050 in the early afternoon. After ardently negotiating with his parents, the little boy finally prevails. Winters are much milder than in previous decades and Michelin-style puffer jackets are becoming increasingly rare on the streets during the holiday season. The winter once feared by some is even welcome in places, as the summer heat waves have multiplied in recent decades.
[ The expert's opinion. “In France, temperatures could have taken up to 1.5 ° C on average. Heat waves will be more and more frequent and the Paris record 42 ° C in summer 2019 should have been beaten several times by 2050 "- Jean Jouzel, climatologist and founder of the IPCC]
On the road that separates Damien from his grandparents, already well settled, the weather is clear. On the side of the A7 motorway, meters and square meters of scorched earth. The summers at more than scorching temperatures will not have given much luck to the vegetation along the highway. In the distance, the snow-capped peaks have a hard time pointing the tip of their noses. Once at the toll, little Damien notices beacons on the emergency stop strip: seeing an exhaust pipe emitting a plume of smoke is no longer what is called "frequent" since the end of the vehicles thermal of 2040. The measure will have taken time to be applied, but today it is "zero tolerance".
[ The expert's opinion. “If on the whole the landscapes will take time to change on a large scale, the forest fires will be much more numerous and will leave traces. “Christmas in the snow” will also be less and less recurrent, if not in the high mountains. As for the car fleet, beyond the prohibitions on individual thermal vehicles, we will have to hope that we will have changed our relationship with the car and that the urban space will have evolved accordingly ”- Jean Jouzel]
Act 2 / At the table!
Damien's grandparents welcome the family. It was already dark and the whole family wasted no time in getting warm. It is a little colder in La Clusaz, and fine snow that does not hold to the ground has finished covering the little boy's hair. Maybe he should have put it on after all. Once around the table, the discussions are linked and the dishes too.
However, the content of the plates is a little different from what you could find at the beginning of the century. The toasts are covered with a clever mixture of chickpeas, mushrooms and spices, the "verrines" (biodegradable, of course) are filled with a daring cucumber-chocolate mixture and the oysters married with lychee. The grandfather, François, then proudly brings the turkey which "simmered in its juice for 5 hours. "If today the population consumes far less meat than in the past, the holidays remain an opportunity to taste" traditional "dishes, which is not to displease our little family who particularly appreciates these moments of meat gluttony, which have become rare.
[ The expert's opinion. “In 2050, we should have a Christmas meal of 80% plant origin against 20% animal. Capons, roasts and other turkeys will take on a more exceptional character. Because of the awareness of animal suffering, we will no longer find blocks of foie gras at 13 euros in hypermarkets, even if some will still consume it, like a luxury product, because there is an aspect of disobedience in the kitchen. We will also have new tastes and new mixtures of flavors. Zero waste will also have become the norm. In short, we will tend towards a vegetal, but delicious Christmas meal. »Raphaël co-founder of the French Center for Culinary Innovation (CFIC)]
Act 3 / Gifts
The next morning, it is obviously time for the opening of gifts at the foot of the tree (in recycled materials!), For Damien. If he no longer believes in the myth of Santa Claus, the magic is very present on this foggy morning in Haute-Savoie. Moreover, over the years, the image of the big bearded man with snow-colored hair has taken hold in the wing. In 2050, Mother Christmas is increasingly represented and “gendered” gifts are becoming increasingly rare. Thus, among the figurines received by our protagonist of 10 years old, we find homoparental families, female firefighters and men who take care of the kitchen. Which does not seem to disturb the little boy. For their part, the parents offered each other “twin” bracelets, found in a jewelry store specializing in salvaged ornaments.
[ The expert's opinion. "Christmas will remain festive but everything will change! Santa Claus may leave his place to Santa Claus, or to a transgender woman, who knows? In any case we will find in gifts and others, more representations of the different types of families. The tree, it should be finished: it is not very ecological as practical ... We will also have the anguish of the elves sponsored by Amazon and new less recurring gifts. In any case, we will continue to innovate. "Anne-Caroline Paucot, writer-prospectivist]
At the end of the afternoon, Damien and his parents get back into their perfectly silent vehicle to go home. This year again, the little boy will have been particularly happy to spend his Christmas Eve with the family. While playing with one of his spaceship figurines, he finds himself looking out the window and wondering, "I wonder what Christmas will look like in 2100."
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