It starts to get dark now before 5:00. The Irish don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, so there’s not a specific start of the Christmas season. Saturday, at 4:00, Sierra’s school sang and played their tin whistles for the Santa parade before the lighting of the Christmas tree and city lights. The weather was cold, but not rainy like today. http://www.dlrevents.ie/events.htm
The parade consisted of the following:
* a formal procession of city elders (including Father Mangan and someone playing bagpipes) most of whom were wearing the red and white stocking caps
* two fire spitters and a juggler,
* a small marching band drum section (about 12 kids playing pretty well),
* 4 larger-than-life paper maché figures,
* a 2-man Chinese dragon (with 4 man drum and gong section),
* a couple of girls in red and white fur short skirts riding horses,
* and Santy riding in the chimney of a small house on a trailer.
They came down George’s street, circled the block in front of Sierra’s school, and then came back to the stage where Sierra’s choir was singing so that Santy could come and speak alongside the mayor.
It was a cute little small town celebration. Sierra woke up with a sore throat this morning.
