March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

International greeting

Our family recently enjoyed hosting some Russians who were performing at the University of Maine in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death. Their visit was remarkable in many ways, including the fun of getting to know foreigners from a country which was previously feared in the United States, the joy of sharing rich musical and cultural experiences and the spiritual fulfillment of having a Russian guest choir conductor in our Church of Universal Fellowship direct Handel’s “Glory to God.” But one incident will be of special interest to your younger readers.

In an effort to show our guests as much of American life as possible, we viewed the annual Saturday Christmas parade in Bangor. Twenty-year-old Nickolai, a cellist with the orchestra, was especially interested in the floats in the parade and took photos of the Glenburn Fire Department and the scouts and other organizations represented. While we watched, I told the Russians that the last float in the parade always was the greatly anticipated Santa Claus.

When Santa finally arrived, I volunteered to take Nickolai’s photo near Santa.

“Santa,” I shouted, “may I take your picture with Nickolai from St. Petersburg in Russia?”

Santa turned from his perch on the back of the convertible and spoke to Nickolai, saying something I did not understand.

As Santa’s float moved past, Nickolai turned to me, in surprised amazement, and said, “He spoke to me in Russian!”

It is comforting to know that in these troubled times which hold the best hope for permanent peace in our lifetime, Santa Claus is still there to provide a friendly greeting to everyone in the world. Theodore S. Curtis Jr. Orono


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