I know, it’s way to early to talk about Christmas. In fact, it would normally be me complaining about the shop front decorations that seems to be appearing earlier and earlier each year.

It’s not that I am a Grinch, but Christmas has never been all that special to me. Getting dragged to Christmas masses when I was younger probably didn’t help, and Santa never really gave me what I wanted each year anyway. For a while, I’ve boycotted Christmas, using the holidays to visit destinations that are either Buddhist or Muslim countries, only to find out, that fat man in the red woolly coat seems to be everywhere!

And it seems like I am not the only one with bad feelings about Christmas.

The Christmas decorator who doesn’t like Christmas

“Personally, I don’t like Christmases,” declared Eric Naudin, Chief Decorator at Chateau Vaux le Vicomte. “because I have bad childhood memories.”

So, just how he became the Father Christmas of the Chateau, having been in charge of the Chateau’s famous Christmas decorations for the past 13 years?

“Well, I said I don’t like Christmases, doesn’t mean I don’t like decorations!” He laughed. “Because I didn’t have good Christmas experiences, so I wanted to make sure that all the children who come and visit the Chateau have the best Christmas experience ever, that’s my goal.”

Earlier this week I spent a day at Chateau Vaux le Vicomte. The invitation was to see this year’s Christmas decorations before it opens to the public on 24 November (tomorrow!) 2018.

It was a long, long day – effectively a 15 hour day with only four hours spent at the Chateau as part of this thing I call ‘Work’. I had been reluctant not just for the commute, but it really was way too early to talk about Christmas.

And then, we arrive at Chateau Vaux le Vicomte, and I’ve changed my mind.

I do want to talk about Christmas, because I think, it’s time to bring the magic back (remember I said in my last post, I needed a bit more magic in my life?)

Christmas at the Chateau

It has been 50 years since Chateau Vaux le Vicomte opened its doors for public visits. During winter however, it is usually closed. With low visitor numbers in the colder months, it really wasn’t worth the effort.

Then, the de Vogüé family, who now owns the Chateau and has been since 1875, decided to create a Christmas opening of the Chateau, having visited stately properties in England (such as Chatsworth House, most famously known as Pemberley, home to Mr Darcy of Pride and Prejudice) where Christmas events have generated public interest and raise the much needed funds for maintaining historical buildings of this stature.

Mr Naudin, being the Chief Decorator, who doesn’t like Christmas much, was put in charge of creating a Christmas wonderland.

And you know what? For someone who doesn’t like Christmas, he is doing a splendid job at bringing Christmas to Vaux le Vicomte.

There are 150 trees, 10,000 decorations, 4000 meters of garlands, one 10m high hot air balloon, a large angel and an illuminated squirrel (the squirrel is the emblem of the original owner of the Chateau). For children who are visiting, the chateau has also organised 12,000 gifts and 10,000 gingerbreads to give away.

Vaux le Vicomte’s Christmas opening is so popular, it has become one of the must-do Christmas experiences in France.

“My favourite part about my job,” he said to me, “is to watch children’s faces light up. When they do, and they walk around in wonders, I know then I am giving them a Christmas that I didn’t have as a child.”

“And that makes me happy.”

We visit room by room, each designed with a particular theme in the decorations, accompanied by scented air to add that extra sensation to the displays. This year’s overall theme is Vintage Toys, and we wandered from snowy winter forest to teddy bear land, to ladders adorned with snow globes, my jaw drop as I step from one display to another, just like a child, in awe of Christmas.

In a way, just like Eric Naudin said, this isn’t really about Christmas. It’s about making people happy. A bit of imagination and magic does make people happy! For those with children, they can even choose to dress up in costume while in and about the chateau too!

Vaux le Vicomte, the inspiration behind Versailles

When our bus pulled up outside the chateau, I was confused. It seemed so much like the famous Versailles, but smaller.

“Ah, that’s because the Versailles was built based on the design of this chateau,” said Hortense Alland, the chateau’s press and communications officer.

A quick history lesson then…

Vaux le Vicomte was built for a Nicolas Fouquet, Royal Treasurer to Louis 14th. He had wanted to have somewhere that is nice and grand, so when his King visits, the King will be treated to the utmost luxury only fit for a King, and will not be disappointed with visiting his own Treasurer.

At the house warming, he was proud to present the chateau to the King. So loyal he was that he even had a grand bedroom designed and built for the King’s stay should he wanted to. Well, that was the intention anyway, but so it turned out, ‘fake news’ was being whispered in the King’s ears that the only way Fouquet could afford this place was that he was stealing into the King’s coffers! So, the King left the party in anger and never got to use the bedroom that was intended for him!

The story doesn’t end here. Louis 14th really did like the chateau, and so jealous was he that he ordered the same architect and landscape designers to build him something similar, but better – that eventually became the famous Versailles.

As for poor Nicolas Fouquet… he was arrested and sent to prison, later exiled and never returned to his beautiful home again.

For us, this is good news. The Versailles is essentially Vaux le Vicomte, but bigger… so you could say, this is a mini-Versailles, without the queue!

If you want to go…

Vaux le Vicomte’s Magic of Vintage Toys Christmas experience is opens tomorrow on the 24 November 2018! Open Wednesdays to Sundays until 23 December, then opens daily until 6 January 2019 with the exception of Christmas day and New Years day.

www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/vaux-le-vicomte-celebrates-christmas

 

READ MORE ON CHRISTMAS: check out my posts on Christmas Markets!