Why Americans Are More Romantic Than The French

I am married to my wife, who is American. I met her in Paris, and since our first date, we have been inseparable. Today, I’m living a fulfilled life building projects with her. I am grateful to have met her.

The only thing I regret about her is that I didn’t meet her even earlier. We got married at the age of 26. That may seem late for Americans. In France, it is not. I did well to move to the U.S. since I find that in this country, I feel more comfortable being romantic with my wife than in France. Let me explain why.

Romance in the U.S.

When I was in college in the U.S., I always walked to the supermarket. On the way there, I would pass by a park with a lake and a fountain. In this park, I often passed a romantic setting in the late afternoon. The set consisted of a red carpet with candles around it and a statuette of a heart. Someone had set this scene in the park to propose to their partner. I didn’t get to see the part where the man knelt down and asked the important question, but just seeing the setup made my heart warm. The setup was simple and cheesy, but I found it moving at the same time. I found it brave how Americans dare to make these kinds of proposals. In France, I have never seen this kind of organization.

Before I married my wife, I met many of her friends in her hometown, and I also followed them on social networks. Many of her friends are the same age, and most of them are already married. They have a car and a house, and sometimes they film the moment during their baby showers to know if the baby is a girl or a boy. These traditions of using blue or pink cakes were new but memorable to me. I thought it was really interesting how Americans make every moment cheesy and special. I discovered it wasn’t just my wife’s friends either.

In the U.S. in 2018, 16% of American men and 20% of women between the ages of 20 and 24 are married. This number explains why I saw so many of my wife’s American friends already having babies.

Meanwhile in France

In France, I felt that I was one of the only people around me who signed a marriage license. I was in a university with a class of 150 men, and less than five people were married by the time I was 26. I checked the proportion of French people married at that age. For an age range between 20 and 24 in 2018, only 2% of French men and 4% of French women are married. 16% of American men and 2% of French men take the courage to take the next step in life to officially live as a married couple.

In France, it is not uncommon for couples to live together without being married. There is a license different from marriage called PACS in France, which is, simply put, a contract that has some of the same advantages as a marriage license, such as tax advantages. This PACS contract is considered by the French as a new form of marriage. In 2019, about half of the French couples who decided to take the next step signed a PACS contract, and the other half got legally married. So we could probably assume that 4% of French men are considered “married”.

Even 4% seems very low compared to the U.S. These figures do not necessarily prove that one country is more romantic than the other. But what I do notice is that American couples cherish moments that are considered cheesy and romantic. They keep an open mind to do new things. For Halloween parties, for example, many couples and families dress up. A month before Valentine’s Day, supermarkets sell plenty of products to encourage couples to celebrate the day. Aside from celebration days, American couples are still open to making little plans on TikTok or YoutubeShort to dance together, challenge each other or even surprise each other.

It is true that in France, the French seem to be romantic about kissing in public. There is much more PDA in France than in the U.S. It is not uncommon to see couples sharing a single chair, cuddling, and even French kissing in public places. Public display of affection is not taboo in France, which makes the French population seem romantic. This part is rooted in the culture, and indeed I find it romantic.

However, the French are not as open-minded and courageous as Americans. Americans are more open-minded than the French to do romantic things, and they are more courageous and confident to try new things and take the next step. That’s why I think Americans are more romantic than the French, and I feel more comfortable being romantic with my wife in the U.S.

If you’re interested, here’s another article about why Parisians are the rudest people in the world.

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