Le Père Noel Pendant (or Santa on a Rope)

The Christmas decorations in Alsace were spectacular (see earlier post) and the lights on the Riviera are not shabby either (more on that a little later).   But it’s the personal efforts that are catching my eye as we’ve gone from town to town.   It might be that these are popular back home this year and I just don’t know it, since we left in November.  But, at least here in the south of France, one of the most popular motifs seems to be what I’m calling ‘Santa on a rope.’

Père Noel (Father Christmas)  used to look a bit more like Saint Nicholas in the illustrations, but the only Saint Nicolas I’ve seen so far this season have been made of chocolate.   I read that the French adopted ‘le look’ of Santa Claus when the post war Marshall Plan brought the images of a Coca Cola Santa here and displaced the older style.   Evidently Coke didn’t include the reindeer, as there haven’t been many sleighs and Rudolphs in evidence.

So, at least this year here, Père Noel clings to flowering balconies and blue shutters,  or restaurant menus posted outside the door.   

Sometimes he seems to be hanging by a thread, sometimes a rope ladder.  There are times when he seems to be levitating

Sometimes there are quite a few of him.

 

I was pondering the rope ladder versus traditional chimney approach and realized that all these buildings are apartments.   So I imagine the kids – “But how will le Père Noel find us?  The chimney doesn’t lead to our apartment.” –“Don’t worry, mon petit.  Le Père Noel will come through the balcony.  He knows which one is ours.”