"The Christmas Tree of the Alsatians and Lorrainers": Spectacle, Emotion, and Patriotism in Paris during the Early Third Republic

Abstract

AbstractThis article underlines the significance of emotions in shaping political culture by analyzing a largely forgotten spectacle, the “Christmas Tree of the Alsatians and Lorrainers.” Held annually in Paris from 1872 until 1918, the event aided children whose families had fled Alsace and Lorraine to retain French citizenship following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. It also provided an afternoon's entertainment for a paying audience. The Christmas tree was strongly associated with Alsace, and the event was a spectacle of patriotism, widely reported in the popular press. Through music, verse, and performance, those present mourned “the Lost Provinces” and celebrated the patrie..