L'Echo de Bel-Air n°41

CELEBRATED ON 8 DECEMBER – HANUKKAH

Hanukkah marks an important military victory of the Maccabees and symbolises the spiritual resistance of Judaism to Greek assimilation.
The practices and customs associated with it are linked to the miracle of the vial of oil, in particular the lighting of the nine-branched Hanukkah candlestick during the eight days of the festival and the consumption of sweets made from olive oil. Four-sided spinning tops are also played.

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY

The origins of this craze seem to date back to the 1980s, when this style of jumper was worn by Bill Cosby in *The Cosby Show*. At the same time, in the United Kingdom, it was popularised by the novelist Gyles Brandreth and the singer Andy Williams.
After falling out of favour in the 1990s, the «Christmas jumper» made a strong comeback from 2001 onwards, when Colin Firth, in the film *Bridget Jones’s Diary*, wore a greenish roll-neck jumper featuring a reindeer. Since the 2010s, «ugly jumper» themed parties have been a huge hit in the United States, particularly in New York. In American Jewish circles, this garment is known as a Hanukkah jumper, as the festival of Hanukkah takes place at the same time of year.
Le Monde sees this fashion trend as a «reimagined tradition» – that of the jumpers that grandmothers used to knit for their grandchildren and give to them on Christmas Eve.

CELEBRATED ON 25 DECEMBER – CHRISTMAS

Christmas is celebrated on the night of 24-25 December and all day on the 25th. As a Christian festival, it commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth every year. Originally, there were pagan festivities on this date to mark the winter solstice, symbolising the rebirth of the sun. The Armenian Apostolic Church has kept the more ancient tradition of celebrating the two feasts of the Nativity and Epiphany on 6 January.
In the 21st century, the Christmas period is largely non-religious and commercial, and in some countries Christmas Day is a public holiday. In this spirit, Christmas has become a festival with folkloric connotations, characterised by family units gathering around a meal and exchanging gifts around the traditional Christmas tree.

A MUST-SEE: CHRISTMAS COTS

BONNIEUX: A TYPICAL Nativity scene depicting life in Provence in the 19th century

This superb cot is made from natural materials (dry stone and plants from the Luberon), with buildings that Vincent himself has painstakingly crafted himself (chapel, oratory, mill, bread oven, henhouse, Provencal farmhouse, etc.). Discover the village life of yesteryear and its inhabitants - over 500 santons.
It took him six weeks – «with days of more than ten hours» work« – to achieve the desired result and build a nativity scene over 15 metres long. »I’m trying to depict traditional life as it was at the end of the 19th century. It’s true that I’ve separated the Nativity scene from the folk-themed backdrop,« explains Vincent Gils. “It’s an open nativity scene.”.
Perspective is respected, nothing is placed at random and Vincent has an eye for detail.

SAINT SATURNIN LES AVIGNON

The santons in the church cot have been purchased over the years thanks to the generosity of visitors.
The 23 antique santons are either made of wax (in the case of the Holy Family) or papier-mâché (for the others) and probably date from the first half of the 19th century. The 17 large santons, which are the most recent, were crafted by the Carmelite nuns of Avignon and are made of wax. They range in size from 40 to 70 cm. The collection is rounded off by around forty more recent santons measuring between 15 and 30 cm.
In all, there are more than 185 figures, including 81 characters and over a hundred animals. 40 of these figures are animated.
Six pumps circulate water to the river and the fountains, whilst 42 motors drive the moving figures; these operate on either 12 or 220 volts.
An automated lighting system creates day and night. A black light gives a special effect to the whole.
The 52m2 cot requires almost 200 hours of work each year, not including the creation of new items. 15 boxes of foam are needed.