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Gascony Diary
Christmas 2006
swept through rural France in the same
double-sided fashion that we have come to
expect: On the one hand an overt display of
street and shop window decoration: Nativity
scenes are painted on plate glass, fairy lights
flash, glow and twinkle on trees and houses in
every way like they do in England and, on the
other hand, this contrasts sharply with the
quite insignificant amount of present-giving and
card-sending. A united outward show of
celebrating an annual festival whilst
individually and privately it extends only to a
family dinner, a christmas tree and wishing
anyone you happen to meet on Christmas Eve a 'bonne
fete'. Which is exactly the same greeting as
used for every other of the many 'holidays'
during the year.
The French Christmas represents a saving in
recycling and rubbish collection alone which is
worth celebrating, but add to that the absence
of the interminable lists of presents-to-buy and
cards-to-send plus not having to worry about
whether you have remembered everyone who needs
to be remembered and a stress-free Christmas,
both ecologically and psychologically, is more
than guarenteed.
What I'd like to say here tho' is, Christmas is
not diminished by this. After all, there is
nothing to prevent you from buying a gift for
your children or sending messages of love and
best wishes to family you haven't seen for ages.
The bigger supermarkets do go overboard on
stocking food of all sorts (this is France after
all). Chocolates are to be found with their own
designated aisles. Oysters for sale by the box
in every village square. Fois gras is consumed
by the shedload. (Which reminds me of when, many
years ago, I asked a girlfriend who had spent
Christmas in France with her husbands family,
how she had enjoyed it. A traditionalist to her
boots, she was disdainful to say the least
"Awful" she replied, "We spent Christmas day
skiing (what - that awful? I wanted to say) "And
do you know what we had for lunch? Pate!!)
OK, then. I admit a french rural Christmas may
not suit everyone. And to be honest there are
signs that the larger supermarkets are getting a
little sharper and have, I've noticed over the
three years we've been here, stocked up on boxes
of wine glasses and plastic toys with batteries
etc. over the pre-Christmas period. But
interestingly all of our English friends here
have happily embraced the french way at
Christmas. We have sent no cards nor given our
friends here more than a wish for a happy
Christmas. And of course neither have we
received any. Of course maybe it's just that
no-one likes us.........
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