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The Comité du tourisme opens its traditional Christmas Village this Friday, December 6. The event will take over the forecourt of the Wall House Territorial Museum and the Hôtel de la Collectivité for three consecutive weekends. With a rich program.
Like every year at this time, a festive fragrance is wafting through Saint-Barthélemy's sea air. These fragrances may not be tangible, but they do emanate from the Christmas celebrations, as some old-timers still say. Of course, the heady sound of the mortar and pestle pounding cinnamon bark into powder can no longer be heard in the island's neighborhoods. The art of making potato cakes, bread puddings or giraumon puddings is now as rare as the art of macerating guavaberry seeds to make liqueur. Fortunately, however, traditions live on. And for the past fifteen years, the Christmas Village organized by the Tourism Committee has been there to remind us of this. The Village opens to the public tomorrow, Friday December 6, in Gustavia.
For the first time since its creation, it will not be set up on the port's Quai d'Honneur. In fact, due to the renovation work undertaken on the quayside over the last few months, the Village will be celebrating its fifteenth anniversary on the forecourt of the Wall House Territorial Museum and the Hôtel de la Collectivité. "A real challenge, as we had to redesign the entire installation," explains Shirley Brin Dufay, the Committee's executive assistant. The public will be welcomed to the Village three weekends in a row: December 6 to 8, then 13 to 15, before a grand finale from December 20 to 22. From 5 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 4 p.m. to midnight on Sundays.
For this fifteenth edition, the Comité du tourisme assures us, the spirit of Christmas will be more present than ever. A true Christmas enchantment, this edition will take you into the wonderful world of a winter forest," warns the Comité. Designed to delight young and old alike, the Saint-Barthélemy Christmas Village has been expanded to include activities for youngsters, including a letter to Santa, cookie-decorating workshops and star-making. The long-awaited Christmas parade will return to amaze locals and visitors alike on Sunday December 8. "
Exhibitors and workshops
Some thirty exhibitors, merchants and craftspeople will be staging their wares in the Village. "Most of them don't have a store, so this will give them visibility," insists Shirley Brin Dufay. While the Village is obviously a festive event, it also aims to showcase local know-how and make it more accessible. Visitors will be able to discover a wide range of artisanal creations: candles, jewelry, Christmas decorations (it's not too late), toys, skincare products, bathing suits and pareos, dreamcatchers, and more. What's more, every weekend the Tourism Committee will be offering a variety of workshops in the Village: bubble animation, balloon sculpting, pastry and Christmas accessory competitions, letter writing to Santa Claus, etc.l (Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 from 5 to 8 p.m.), cookie decorating, starfish making... But it's also time to celebrate.
Concerts all day, every weekend
Concerts by local and Caribbean groups, with a touch of "Chanté Nwel", will punctuate life in the Village every day from 5pm. This Friday, the Gypsy Dreams (blues) will open the "ball" at 7 p.m., followed at 9 p.m. by the Romantiques. The following day, Saturday, a Portuguese folkloric dance and song group will perform from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by DJ Leila and Ice Tea (7 to 8 p.m., Caribbean music), Dynasti'z (8 to 11 p.m.) before DJ El Coch, DJ Leila and Ice Tea keep the party going until 2 a.m. If the mood strikes! On Sunday, Sweet Pan Entertainment will play from 6 to 8 p.m., before giving way to Banda Nono for a Nwel sing-along. A dense musical program that will require a lot of energy. Fortunately, food stalls will be on hand to feed visitors, passers-by and party-goers alike.
Roasted chestnuts, raclette, galettes, Christmas ham, West Indian and Asian cuisine - the culinary delights will be as diverse as they are varied. And to bring down, or enhance, all these flavors, the associations will be taking turns at the Village refreshment bar for three weeks. The Public association from December 6 to 8, the Youngz from December 13 to 15 and the collège parents' association from December 20 to 22.
A shuttle bus from Saint-Jean
What's more, as the committee reminds us: "The heart of Gustavia will vibrate to the rhythm of the eponymous Christmas truck, which is sure to get you dancing in this enchanting setting. "To make sure you don't have to worry about transportation, the Committee has set up a shuttle service from Saint-Jean to the Village, every weekend from 7 p.m. to midnight.
By the time these lines are published, the CTTSB Christmas Village will be ready to open its doors to the public to celebrate its fifteen years of existence and, above all, to help people wait for the fateful day, December 25. After enjoying a bowl of pois d'bois or Pois d'Angole soup the day before, before throwing yourself on a wood-fired Christmas ham? Unless old traditions are lost forever.
Santa's parade and visits
And what about Santa Claus? Well, of course, he'll be present in Saint-Barthélemy and at the Village in Gustavia. On Sunday December 8, the Santa Claus parade will take place. It will leave from the Post Office at 4 p.m. for the Christmas Village at La Pointe. On Sundays December 15 and 22, again starting at 4 p.m., Santa Claus will return to the Village to take photos with children. Photos will be given away free of charge to those who request them, according to the Tourism Committee.
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A thought for Yvan Garnier
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