Chocolat is set in the fictional village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes in Southwest France. France is a secular nation but culturally remains predominantly Catholic. During the second half of the 20th century, there has been a decline both in the number of people identifying as Catholic and in active worship, even among nominal Catholics. Chocolat is set in the late 20th century, so Reynaud’s fear of the influence of outsiders on his parish ties into this decline.

Chocolat is set around Easter, a Christian celebration that, in popular practice, includes elements stemming from pre-Christian pagan festivals of rebirth (such as eggs). Easter practices in Catholicism relate to consumption and self-denial: Shrove Tuesday (commonly called Pancake Day in Britain and the US) involves feasting prior to the traditional fasting or sacrifice of Lent, which commemorates Jesus’s 40 days fasting in the wilderness. This is followed by Easter, celebrating Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Reynaud preaches an interpretation of Catholicism that centers around self-denial, though Catholic worship incorporates sensory experience—for example, incense, stained glass windows, and ornate statues. The church and the square are named after St. Jerome, who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries CE and was a foundational figure in early Christianity.