Steven

On Christmas Eve, children leave their shoes by the fireplace to be filled with gifts from **Pere Noel**. In the morning they also find that sweets, fruit, nuts and small toys have been hung on the tree. In cathedral squares, the story of Christ's birth is re-enacted by both players and puppets. Nearly every French home at Christmastime displays a Nativity scene or **crèche**, which serves as the focus for the Christmas celebration. The crèche is often peopled with little clay figures called **santons** or "**little saints**." In addition to the usual Holy Family, shepherds, and Magi, the craftsmen also produce figures in the form of local dignitaries and characters. The craftsmanship involved in creating the gaily colored santons is quite astounding and the molds have been passed from generation to generation since the seventeenth century. Throughout December the figures are sold at annual Christmas fairs in Marseille and Aix.
 * //Stevie Wright//**