Holiday Spirit Alive And Well At Area Christmas Fair

Though the weather outside was cold and brisk, the atmosphere inside Divine Wisdom Academy's Father Smith Hall on Saturday was filled with the warmth of the Christmas spirit, as young, old and in-between gathered to celebrate the season and raise funds for their school and St Anastasia Church.

"This is our parish and we like to support the activities that take place here," said Theresa Rossetti of Douglaston, selling decorative ornaments and colorful crocheted blankets at Divine Wisdom's Christmas Fair.

Rossetti was one of approximately two dozen vendors selling everything from wreaths to jewelry to gourmet cookie dough. All proceeds from the sales, as well as a small admittance fee to see Santa Claus, went to fund programs and services at St Anastasia and its parochial school.

Another vendor at the Christmas Fair, Jill Calabrese of Bayside reported sales of jewelry, scarves and chocolate-covered pretzels "a bit down from last year" at about 1 p.m. But she didn't seem worried.

"The day is early yet, and there's a lot more selling to be done," Calabrese said, mid-way through her sixth Christmas fair at Divine Wisdom.

Across the hall packed with holiday shoppers was Lourdes Espinel, mother of two Divine Wisdom students who sold flowers and wreaths to a crowd mostly pulled from St Anastasia parish.

"It makes me feel good to give back in some small way," Espinel said.

Meanwhile, Divine Wisdom students eagerly anticipated the big day just three weeks away, looking for a hint from Santa about what they might find underneath the Christmas tree.

Jax, 11, said she hoped it would be a designer purse; for Coya, 11, it was a sketchbook to help get her dream of becoming a fashion designer off the ground. Not to be outdone, Lynnie, 11, also said she wanted clothes — that is, only if they came with a designer label.

But there was at least one youngster helping out at this weekend's Christmas Fair with another list of priorities entirely.

"I think things like this are a good thing to get involved in," said Frederic Jean-Joseph, a member of the Little Neck-Douglaston Lions' youth service club, the Leos. "You get to help people — and it's a lot of fun."