Christmas decorations are up in Argelès. The yellow and red striped Catalan flags hanging from buildings on each side of the street have been replaced with Christmas wreaths and candles of plastic that light after dark. Stores have tinsel, snowflakes, and pine boughs. For the first time ever Jean-Pierre and Babette have decorated their green grocery.
La Noisette, Franck’s tea room, has a Père Noël in the corner, tinsel hung gaily and a Joyeuse Noël red carpet. Somehow hot chocolate tastes even better in the Christmas setting.
Saint Nicholas walked through the village with his friend Père Fouet (I am not sure of the spelling, but it translates as Father Whip). The later is dressed in black, and although he is supposed to whip bad children, he must have had a change of heart because he kept dipping into his wagon pulled by a sleepy donkey to throw candy to the watching crowd.
Most European Santas have these black-dressed friends. A couple of years ago on a train to Saint Gall, we looked out the window to see Saint Nicholas walking through a snow-covered field with his companion, Schmützig (dirty) also dressed in black and ready to strike terror into the hearts of bad children.
Although it doesn’t reflect the happy, must have good self-esteem concept, there may be some merit in the idea that bad actions bear consequences that in limited quantities could be a positive effect on today's children.
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