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trees on poles!?


St_Jacques

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[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!....

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[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.

 

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[quote user="Cassis"]Can you explain further, Miki?[8-)]

[/quote]

Well as far as I can remember, the Maire of some communes would often

have a tree (pine ?), stripped of its branches etc and have a number of flags or

summat at the top, these indicated his position. Well that's as much as

I can remember at the moment. I could ring up and ask some  French

friends in the area I guesss !

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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.

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[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]

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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.

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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

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[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.

 

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