La Magie de Noel

The stores are just now putting up decorations.

I missed Thanksgiving, which, under normal circumstances, is my favorite holiday of the entire year.  At least, it used to be.  It's becoming nearly as commercialized and as exploited as Christmas.  One of the positive things about not being in the States for Thanksgiving is that I have missed all of the pre-Christmas frenzy and marketing pressure to buy, buy, buy as a means of showing affection.  Because of that, the preparations here, for Noel, have rekindled a true anticipation in me for Christmas.

Andre Chenier where you can ride the "luge."

All of the public places, especially Place Gambetta, Place Carnot and Andre Chenier have been transformed.  They city has installed an ice rink at Carnot, and yesterday there were at least 100 fir trees being put into place around the glass walls there.  Stores were getting delivery of Christmas trees that sit outside their doors--they are more or less uniform in size and I am guessing that the stores decorate them to their own liking, but it gives a certain uniformity to the streets here in the Bastide.  The decorations are more "natural" than they are in the States--almost no electric lights, because electricity here is VERY expensive, so we are careful how we use it.  They use ribbons and bows...some ornaments.  This merchant used pom poms...

Lots of greenery and bows.  Very few lights.

I like that people--including the merchants--are only just starting to decorate.  I am not already weary of the season.  I feel a sense of anticipation that I haven't felt in years and years, maybe since I was a little girl.  The theme here in Carcassonne this year is La Magie de Noel--it needs no translation.  Magic, indeed.