St_Jacques Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Can anyone tell us what are those long poles with trees stuck on the top of them that many people seem to have outside their houses!!??We cant work it out!Dale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suandpete Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 What part of the country? Never seen them here in Poitou-Charentes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opas Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 me neither.......dept 66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Nor in 72 or 61 or 53 - any chance of a photo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Are you talking about in places like the Dordogne where the Maireand some councillors can be seen to have something like that at theirhouse, normally with flags as well ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Can you explain further, Miki?[8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 [quote user="St_Jacques"]Can anyone tell us what are those long poles with trees stuck on the top of them that many people seem to have outside their houses!!??We cant work it out!Dale[/quote]Are you in Alsace? or Auvergne?...In some areas it means that the builders have finished building a house up to a certain point at which the owner takes over. The small Xmas tree type decorated with buntings is hoisted atop the chimney (or on a long pole) and a small fête is made of it between the builders and the owner of the house. At the owner's cost I may add!.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosebud Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 [quote user="missyesbut"][quote user="St_Jacques"] Can anyone tell us what are those long poles with trees stuck on the top of them that many people seem to have outside their houses!!??We cant work it out!Dale[/quote]Are you in Alsace? or Auvergne?...In some areas it means that the builders have finished building a house up to a certain point at which the owner takes over. The small Xmas tree type decorated with buntings is hoisted atop the chimney (or on a long pole) and a small fête is made of it between the builders and the owner of the house. At the owner's cost I may add!.... [/quote]This can also herald the birth of a baby.........I'm no France expert, but this is common in Switzerland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 [quote user="Cassis"]Can you explain further, Miki?[8-)][/quote]Well as far as I can remember, the Maire of some communes would oftenhave a tree (pine ?), stripped of its branches etc and have a number of flags orsummat at the top, these indicated his position. Well that's as much asI can remember at the moment. I could ring up and ask some Frenchfriends in the area I guesss ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monika Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Yes in Switzerland (but only some parts) it heralds the arrival of a baby. The more trees you have the more people like you. My niece on her farm in Switzerland had about 10 trees. Her only worry when she came home from hospital was not how she could cope with the baby, but how many trees she was going to have. Mostly these trees are decorated with toys which are taken off, but the trees are left up until the new mother and dad invites everybody to come for a drink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 [quote user="Monika"]Yes in Switzerland (but only some parts) it heralds the arrival of a baby. The more trees you have the more people like you.[/quote]Do you mean the neighbours break in and plant these things in your garden while you're in hospital having the baby?[blink] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I am here in the Dordogne and have wondered as well. I have seen them on official looking buildings as well as ordinary houses. I have also seen them on the outside of businesses in places such as Sarlat etc. The ones here are are not planted they are cut like Christmas trees but are brown and dead and hung on the building or are planted like a pole and decorated with it appears to be mostly French Flags. In my opinion a bit of an eyesore [8-)].I did catch the end of a segment on the local news regarding this but missed most of it. I think they were saying at a certain time of the year certain businesses were voted to have these erected on their premises as some sort of honour of some kind but could be totally wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I think these things are called 'mai'. If anyone has a copy of The Golden Bough (my copy is in the UK ) I'm pretty sure that Fraser wrote that the origin was the same as the maypole and the folklore associated with the may tree throughout the British Isles.I've asked my neighbours and none of them seem to know the origin of the custom even though, as WJT says, it is sometimes reported on in the local paper.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 So in which regions does this practice prevail? And is it associated in any way with naked virgins? Please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 These trees exist in the south-west Dordogne. I have never seen any naked virgins around here, but I suppose they might be lurking in the woods.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Got to be worth a look, Hoddy. Take your camera and let me know by PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Trouble is Cassis, I'm not really interested in naked virgins.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosebud Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 [quote user="Cassis"][quote user="Monika"] Yes in Switzerland (but only some parts) it heralds the arrival of a baby. The more trees you have the more people like you.[/quote]Do you mean the neighbours break in and plant these things in your garden while you're in hospital having the baby?[blink][/quote]They sure do! Nowadays it's more common to get a sign with the baby's name and date of birth, instead of the tree. When our youngest was born we came home to find a giant disney dog attached to our balcony, with her name in giant letters for all to see. We had no idea who it was from. It's traditional not to admit to it! We just threw a party a few weeks later to thank everybody in the village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Jacques Posted June 21, 2006 Author Share Posted June 21, 2006 Our house is in 71 and thats where we have seen the trees!Dale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Can we have photographs of these things? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Jacques Posted October 2, 2006 Author Share Posted October 2, 2006 got a pic - but could you tell me how to post it on here?!Dale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 You have to upload the image first - try http://photobucket.com/sitemap.phpWhen you have uploaded it, edit to 50% (you get the option in photobucket) then copy the IMG code and paste here, but you only see if it has worked when you post, not in preview.Good Luck ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Jacques Posted October 3, 2006 Author Share Posted October 3, 2006 Ok thx lets see if this works!!! (if it does sorry that the tree may be difficult to see but we didnt want to intrude too much!!) IMG]http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n70/compostela_2006/treeonpole.jpg[/IMG] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Jacques Posted October 3, 2006 Author Share Posted October 3, 2006 Damn -lets try again!!!!!!!!!!!![IMG]http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n70/compostela_2006/treeonpole.jpg[/IMG] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Jacques Posted October 3, 2006 Author Share Posted October 3, 2006 Lets see if I can get clever now and enlarge it!! (fingers crossed!) IMG]http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n70/compostela_2006/tree.jpg[/IMG] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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