The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-12-22

national Living.
Both d sire to see what Christ
mas is really like in the United
States. The two are also unanimous
in another opinion their parents.
relatives and friends will be very
near in thoughts at Christmastime
even though they will not make it
home for the holidays.
Georgette, who comes ON
Tarbes. an industrial city in south
ern France, presumes that Christ
mas in France is little different
than what it would be here But.
she added, II want tc find out how
you people observe the holiday.
Presents in Shoes
The French visitors said. I'VE
celebrate Christmas as the most
important holiday Of the year" In
additionally Catholic country, the
Holy Family figurines are exchang-
ed, and there is midnight Mass
followed by big supper. Santa
claus brings presents in shoes
rather than stockings she smiled.
and said.
And where will Georgette get her
impressions of an American
Christmas? In New Jersey where
she spent three weeks before her
arrival at LongWood She spends
her vacations in the home, arranged
for through the Experiment in
International Living.
"French FoOd-Oh. OH"
Discussing her impressions Of an
American home, she said. II was
struck by the high standard of hv-
ing, the traffic, big cars On the
subject of food she had a quick
answer for questions along that
line French food is very diff
ferent from American food, oh, oh, =
and several more phrases uttered
in French.
Accustomed to snow, Georgette is
still looking for some snow in Vir-
ginia Despite weather predictions
of no snow here, she will no doubt
run into it when she joins her foster
parents. so to speak. in New Jer-
sey-the experimental home ven
ture. She says they have on their
itinerary visits in New Hampshire
and Maine during the coming holi-
day.
Georgette enjoyed her first holi-
day, Thanksgiving. in Washington,
D. c. But. to her it was just a
holiday away from school. Thanks
giving being understood but not OBJ
served as special day in France.
She found the capital city interest
ing and very different from Paris.
and is looking forward to discover
ing whether an American Christ
mas is really different.
From Mexico City
Sara comes from Mexico City.
and although her parents offered
her the opportunity to come home
for Christmas she decided she want
ed to find out just how Americans
observe the holiday.
The Spanish language informant
has only her impressions Of an
American Thanksgiving to base her
expectations of a Christmas one
Since Thanksgiving is not a holiday
in her country, it, too. amounted to
a holiday from school. For that
holiday She was in Washington
with a Spanish family in residence
there for Is years
Impressed with the rapid move
ment in Washington she plans 10
spend Christmas with the same
family she was with for Thanks
giving. She became acquainted with
the family in Mexico, and they in
vited her ito pass all of her va
cations with them
-. Don't Use Cans
There. She doesn't get the true
taste OF Americanism. They live
like Americans but a cook cooks
like Mexican cooks they don't
use cans she said Battling the
English language, which she does
well. she said, the cook passes
m ! t Of the morning in the
kitch n" Everybody speaks
Spanish in the home SO in reality
she is - at home away from
home
However. Sara did visit with
LongWood student in Roanoke, and
there she gained a true insight into
the American home.
Christmas in Mexico Is a big
family get-together, she noted.
There's the special Mass. and the
big meals The parents don't stay
at home too much at Christmas"
she said. Christmas trees and Santa
Claus are a traditional part of the
celebration But Santa drops his
gifts under the tree, not in stock
ings or shoes.
The two agreed that there ap-
pears to be no fundamental diff
ferences among the people of this
country and theirs. except for Gus
toms. On return to the LongWood |
campus in January, they will no
doubt know whether there arc fun
damental differences in the way |
Americans celebrate Christmas and |
the way they do in Europe.