the essential
For Ascension Segura, the Christmas nativity scene is sacred. For 35 years, the merchant has set aside a day to set up her village of terracotta figurines. A pleasure shared by all the loyal customers of the neighborhood bakery in Lameilhé.
In this cold winter, there is a place that warms the heart and the body. No matter the years, no matter the seasons or fatigue, behind the counter of the Spaguette bakery, Ascension Segura, 61 years old, remains an endearing character from Lameilhé, with this kindness and this sunny accent coming straight from the region from Murcia, Spain.
Her husband Jean-Raymond, 60, has been in the kitchen of the neighborhood bakery for 35 years, whose reputation is well established. With Marie-Claire and Laurent, they form a united team, ready to take on all challenges, including that of the end-of-year holidays, where orders darken the agenda.
“It’s important to her. At home it's the same, the nursery is sacred. We must not take that away from her, she puts all her heart into it. It’s his belief, it’s his childhood”
And who says Christmas at the Spaguette, necessarily, absolutely even, says the Christmas crib. “From the first year, there was a nativity scene. It’s the tradition: Christmas without a nativity scene, it’s not Christmas,” persists and signs Ascension, a fervent Catholic. “It’s important to her. At home it's the same, the nursery is sacred. We must not take that away from her, she puts all her heart into it. It’s her belief, it’s her childhood,” her husband continues.
“My father passed this tradition on to me and I want it to continue in my home. My grandchildren are starting to acquire the taste that my father passed on to me. The magic of Christmas must not be lost. “. In this popular district, the largest in Castres, where a mix of cultures reigns, “a Muslim customer entered the shop, he saw the crèche and told me that he respected this tradition, that he loved, because they get lost…”, observes the baker.
One day of installation in the store
Every year, the crèche finds its place in the small bakery. It sometimes changes location, like this year (at the entrance on the right, above the refrigerators). “Customers are looking for it! “But where is the nursery? » smiles Ascension, who buys an additional santon every year to decorate the village and the stable. “We hardly find any anymore, it’s getting harder and harder,” she regrets. One day is reserved for installing the crèche. This time, the shopkeeper received help from a friend, Sylvie. “We have a garage specifically for the figurines, which are all kept in a small bag and boxes.”
The child Jesus will be installed from his “birth” this Wednesday, as will the Three Wise Men. “They’re hidden for now, but shh!”
