After returning from the states, one thing is apparent. Christmas in Paris has style.
It is decoration with taste. Nothing is too over the top. The music is not ubiquitous. Most places are still the same with just a hint of Christmas – not a deluge.
In the US, the assault is full scale.
There is a reason the dentist presses on your gums when giving the shot of Novocain. The pressure overloads your nerve and it does not register the pain. In fact, most anesthesias work by creating too much for your nerves to do. Overload them and they get too confused to work.
This has happened with Christmas in the US. The constant torrents of Christmas dull the senses. Fun is severed. Meaning drowns in glitter.
And you can do nothing but wait for the effects to subside.
But Paris has it right. Like good cuisine, there is a noticeable change, but it is in hints. There are flavors all over the city, but done aesthetically. The decorations feel more a part of their environment than an invasion of the North Pole.
This style makes the season more enjoyable. The lack of excess makes each decoration special. The best part is that it takes time to notice.
And in that subtleness, there is something to feel.
