Christmas Trees Shed Light on Customs

Merry Christmas? Not for naughty tots in France, where legend holds that Pere Fouettard, or Father Whipper, brings not toys, but wooden switches for unruly tykes checked off the good-kid list.

Bah humbug? Save it. The holiday spirit burns brightly in the Ukraine, where family members, from youngest to oldest, make elegant handmade tree ornaments from the simplest materials.

Visions of sugarplums dancing in your head? Hold that thought, because in Italy your Christmas meal might include eel, or in Norway, a chunk of dried fish.

So go holiday traditions from around the globe as various cultures in their own way attempt to embrace the majesty of Christendom’s big day. The holiday story is told beautifully through the trimmings on 24 Christmas trees from various countries on display through Jan. 3 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum near Simi Valley. The exhibit is free with library admission of $4 for adults.

Two trees are loaded with universal images--smiling Santa Claus faces and Nutcracker characters “for the kids,” assures Sarah Duda director of education and public programs for the museum. The rest of the trees represent holiday decorations from nations that Reagan visited while in office.

The tree from Ireland, where Reagan’s ancestors hail from, is popular. It stands around the corner from a scale model of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier named after the former president. The Kwanzaa tree, dedicated to the holiday that celebrates African American heritage, is decked in green and black flags near a video monitor playing Reagan political speeches.

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The United States tree is a star-spangled spectacle, loaded with Uncle Sam figurines and red-white-and-blue trinkets. A brass eagle is perched on top, the only tree that doesn’t yield the top spot to St. Nick, heavenly stars or angels. Various community groups, including the Thousand Oaks Republican Women’s Federation, helped trim the two dozen trees, but no Democratic clubs seemed to have joined in these reindeer games.

“We like to promote a festive atmosphere for the holidays,” Duda said. “We try not to do anything that’s partisan.”

The trees are understandably plastic, but the trimmings speak volumes about the nations they represent. From the invitingly icy Russian Christmas tree to the saffron blossoms bulging from the India tree to the ornate elegance of the Italy tree, no two are the same.

Each comes with a story. For example, it is customary in the Ukraine for families to make ornaments by hand, using wheat, paper and straw, so even the poorest and youngest members of society can participate. The result is an artwork of disarming simplicity, with boughs decked in wheat sunbursts, stick snowflakes and garland hoops of colored paper. Instead of gifts, cookies, apples and nuts are scattered across a carpet of straw under the tree.

The Lithuanian tree is a stark contrast of evergreen and white. All the ornaments are made from white drinking straws, cut and folded into snowflakes, pine cones and lanterns.

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“The ornaments look so good,” said Christopher Robledo, a Moorpark youngster, gazing at the icicles and silvery tassels high overhead on the Russian tree. “Every one is so interesting in its unique way.”

The multicultural experience at the Reagan library is augmented by food, crafts and entertainment presented by ethnic groups sharing their way of celebrating the Christmas holiday on the weekends. The spotlight focuses on Lithuanian holiday traditions from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 28. A Russian folk festival is scheduled for the same time Dec. 12.

On Dec. 5, Santa Claus is scheduled to visit, along with carolers, storytellers and face painters. Plenty of food and music will be served, too. Admission that day is free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Nancy Reagan is scheduled to visit for a 10:30 a.m. book signing Dec. 9.

For information, call (800) 410-8354.