ST. PAUL – If there is an aspect of human culture that transcends the boundaries of languages, that would be music. On Dec. 20, members of the St. Paul community joined the Noel family for a holiday music themed event hosted by ACFA Régionale de Saint-Paul.
Members of the Noel family from St. Paul performed Christmas-themed songs in English and French, with a big projector showing the lyrics so the crowd could sing along. The event was called Noel Avec les Noels.
Music is a big part of the Noel family, according to Regent Noel, who played during the event. The family wanted to share that passion with the wider community. It was a sentiment that was well received.
“Honestly, I didn’t really expect this much people,” he said, glancing at the crowd-filled tables. “It’s good to see everybody come over like this.”
Sylvie Smyl, director at St. Paul ACFA, and also a member of the Noel family, agreed, explaining that hosting Christmas parties through music was a family tradition in the past.
“So, we wanted to recreate that and have a family-friendly community event where we could invite our friends and family to join in the music and celebrate the Noel season,” she said.
The event was also an opportunity to share the Francophone culture with the wider community, she said, and to see more people walking through the doors at the Centre Communautaire was “really heartwarming to see.”