A Light in the Window in Communist Times.

• Author: Rickert, Jonathan B.
• Position: Christmas 1994 in Romania

Title: A Light in the Window in Communist Times

Author: Jonathan B. Rickert

Text:

Sometimes a Christmas tree is more than just a decorated evergreen.

In connection with Christmas 1994, the last Yule celebration in Bucharest for me and my wife Gerd before our transfer back to Washington at the completion of our tour, we hosted a large holiday party for many of our Romanian friends. The lovely Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) residence on StradaPangratti was richly decorated for the season. The focal point was the large Christmas tree standing in the living room next to the staircase leading to the second floor. The tree was well over twenty feet tall and beautifully trimmed, with electric lights and decorations from the United States, my wife's native Sweden, Romania, and other countries where we had served. For us it was a delight to behold as it and the decorations held so many associations with family and Christmases past.

Our guests all seemed to enjoy themselves, eagerly sampling the generous selection of seasonal goodies on offer, and we were pleased to have the opportunity to share our holiday with them. One guest even brought with him a group of a cappella singers, who enriched the festive atmosphere with lovely traditional Romanian colinde, or Christmas carols.

Another guest struck a serious note, however, when he pulled us aside and told us with emotion how important the tree was to him. He explained that during the grim communist years, when Christmas and other religious holidays were downplayed, if not eliminated entirely, the annual lighted and decorated Christmas tree at the DCM's residence had served as a beacon of hope for him and many others. It was easily visible from the street through the outsized living room windows. He lived in the same neighborhood as ours and said that whenever he had passed by in the December...