Happy January Sales! Hope all you bargain hunters shopped up a storm.
Happy Epiphany! To all those in Spain and Russia etc. receiving their gifts on the 6th.
Happy Burns Night! Lang may yer lumb reek beyond the 25th.
Happy Australia Day! Hope you all had a good time on the 26th.
Here in the 'interesting' South of France it's still Christmas. Yes, truly. We still have Christmas trees up in shops and in the public squares...
Lights in the streets and signs advertising the Christmas markets....
Stollen, chocolate Santas, baubles, tinsel and wrapping paper etc. available in the shops AT FULL PRICE....
Houses decorated with my favourite abseiling Santa and giant nativity scenes...
I have no conclusion to draw from this. Perhaps it is a local custom to drag out Noel as long as possible. Perhaps it is another manifestation of the Lazy French Syndrome (see blog # 42) and nobody has time to take down the decorations as they are still recovering from Lunch.
Perhaps it is something completely different. Rumour has it the decorations can even stay up until Easter, and I did see evidence of this last year. If anyone has the answer to this puzzling situation, I'd be happy to hear it. Answers on a Christmas card, please, addressed to Pere Noel, La Poste, S. France as he is still large as life at his desk in this neck of the woods...
I have no idea why the decorations are still up, but I can understand it if it is because it cheers up a drab, cold January. Not as bad as where I am now in the US where we're in deep freeze. Will be back in Languedoc mid-February and looking forward to it! Hope to see you then!
ReplyDelete