“A French Noel” will be the theme for the 18th annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 in the Hotel Stilwell lobby.
Members of the Pittsburg High School French Club have decorated a tree with French ornaments, and their teacher, Chris Colyer, will discuss holiday customs of France.
While the Christmas tree is a central focus of American holiday decorations, it isn’t nearly so prominent in France, according to Colyer. Instead, santons — a creche or nativity scene — is used.
“Most French families will have a creche,” the French teacher said. “But they tend to include not just Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus, but people of the city as well, such as the mayor of the city, fishermen and washerwomen.”
The buche de noel, or Yule log, was a Christmas symbol for centuries, and started out as an actual tree log.
“The log would burn from Christmas Eve night until after the New Year,” Colyer said. “Then, after the advent of furnaces, many people quit burning logs and the Yule log became just a table decoration. The French were the only ones who turned this log into a cake. They decorate them just like a log you’d find in the forest, and they are quite delicious.”
Colyer plans on making one for the lighting ceremony.
French children don’t get visits from Santa, but from Pere Noel, or Father Christmas. “They don’t want a visit from Pere Fouettard, who brings spankings to naughty children,” Colyer said.
Students in all her French classes made ornaments for the special French tree, including cut-out Eiffel Towers, fleur-de-lis, paper chains in the red, white and blue of the French flag and cut-outs of shoes.
“French children don’t hang up their stockings, they hang up shoes,” Colyer said. “These are actual shoes, but not the ones they wear every day. Mostly they would use these shoes only at Christmas.”
The French are predominately Catholic, and most families will attend Christmas Eve midnight Mass. “Then they’ll go home to a huge meal, which might include roast beef, duck or goose,” Colyer said. “Turkey is not as popular there as it is here.”
The French theme will continue as members of the PHS Girls Glee sing French carols under the direction of Susan Laushman.
Christmas tree lights are donated each year in honor or memory of loved ones, with proceeds benefiting the historic Hotel Stilwell Jerry Waltrip will read the names of donors and those they have honored with lights.
Refreshments will follow in the Timmons Ballroom. “French cookies will be provided by Debby Close, and members of the Stilwell board of trustees,” said Laura Carlson, executive director of the Stilwell Foundation. “Everyone in the community is welcome to come and share in this occasion.”
PITTSBURG —
