What could be more beautiful for a child, after a tiring day of class, stuck between grammar and mathematics, than to receive a visit from Santa Claus in person a few meters from the school exit? It’s the waking dream that hundreds of little residents of Griffeuille were able to experience, for an afternoon, as soon as they left the Jules-Vallès and Mouleyres schools.
Place Vincent-Auriol, near the neighborhood center, dozens of volunteers pulled out all the stops to transform the place into a small local Lapland, minus the snow, due to the mildness of December in Arles.
“It is a very important festive event for the Griffeuille district every year, appreciated Marjorie, member of the neighborhood center. All the children are smiling, they enjoy the activities, and we always find it difficult to ask them to go home with their parents, even when night has fallen.“For almost two hours, Marjorie and her comrades distributed just over 300 Christmas hats to the children for free, with a small sweet gift hidden inside.
A selfie with Santa
Once the snack was eaten, the children still had difficulty sitting still. Very quickly, the photo booth is taken by storm. Santa’s visit captivated the hearts of the youngest, who spontaneously formed a queue of around ten meters to be entitled to their selfie with the man with the long white beard. “Hello Sir, can I come into your arms?“, asks Ethan politely, barely able to walk, and shy at the idea of taking the photo with his hero. As soon as the photo is printed on paper, the child has already returned to his mother’s legs, as if reassure yourself after this burst of courage.
