My Years Without A Santa Clause - Pt. I

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year – especially as a little boy growing up in Kansas. Beyond the traditional visit from Santa Clause and the exchanging of gifts, the holiday provided a sense of security with repeat showings of “Rudolph,” the arrival of our World Book Encyclopedia advent calendar and neighborhoods adorned with multi-color Christmas lights. Now that I’m 35 and living in Paris, Christmas has evolved into something quite different. Parisians have replaced my traditional holiday sanctuary with an unconventional couture Christmas.

Gone are the customary Christmas colors. Green and red have been replaced with vibrant hues of purple, orange and blue. Parisian fashion nameplates like Dior, Chanel and Hermes adorn their entryway with dramatic centerpieces constructed from twigs and silky fabric. Department stores illuminate their façade with time-honored white lights but accentuate them with flamboyant Chinese lanterns. There are no elves. There’s barely a Santa to be found. The holiday is quite subdued compared to the festive onslaught Americans absorb beginning in September.

Of course, I don’t expect the French to follow the same holiday guidelines as America. Their traditions are quite different. For example, the Christmas tree has never been popular. If the Parisians actually display a tree, it bares little resemblance to what we flaunt in our front windows back home. Some are flocked black. I’ve seen one made of hair. Instead, the French centralize their festivities around a nativity scene made from ornate clay figures. Papa Noel, not Santa Clause, visits little children – leaving gifts in shoes rather than stockings. He’s dressed in traditional garb – red hood and robe, trimmed in fur, with a basket filled with presents. Leave it to the French to stylize Christmas.

Fortunately, I’m not totally void of any festive spirit from back home. With our satellite system beaming programming out of the UK, I get a bit of Christmas cheer from both commercials and television shows. The first, however, doesn’t compare to the merry ads from Target, the Gap or the local grocery store’s special on hams and turkeys. And the latter doesn’t appear until summer. With shows like Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and the O.C. running anywhere from six months to a year behind original airdates, there truly is a bit of Christmas in July.

Check back next week for Pt. 2