Christmas 2004 - no snow but chilly. We took the RER(subway) to Paris and got off at the stop to Notre Dame Cathedral. The city was half empty. A huge Christmas tree sat in the center of the courtyard. Tourists wandered around and took some snap shots.
We saw a sign posted the schedule of Christmas services. "10 o'clock has a Gregorian chant Mass." said Feline. WoW! A mass with choir inside this famous landmark on Christmas day! Monci and Hoohoo were excited. None of us except Feline has this kind of experience before. (She obtained her first master degree in Paris 10 years ago.) Feline suggested that we went inside as spectators because we needed to catch a bus to Madame France’s apartment for the Christmas lunch she invited us to.
The cathedral opens every day. Yes, every day! If you count holidays and special celebrations, there are more than 2000 celebrations at Notre-Dame each year. It is very generous to visitors. Even when there is a mass service, people are allowed to follow a circular route touring the fantastic interior of the cathedral.
Monci and Hoohoo followed the line with us quietly. It was dark and gently lighted only by a few wall lamps, candles and the natural light through its many beautiful stained-glass windows including the famous South Rose Window. If you are good at math, here are some facts about the South Rose Window. It has eighty-four panes divided into four circles. The first one has twelve medallions and the second has twenty-four. A third circle is made up of quadrilobes, and the fourth circle has twenty-four trilobes medallions. This window features the symbolic number four, along with its multiples, twelve and twenty-four. The South Rose Window is admired by millions of people every year, including two little souls on Christmas day of year 2004!
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