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Christmas traditions are very present in our beautiful Provence.
The Christmas calendar begins on December 4 with the feast of Saint Barbara: this is the day when 3 cotton plates soaked in water are sown with the "Wheat of Hope". It will grow for the next 3 weeks and will serve as a decoration for the Big Supper table on December 24th.
Then comes the time to prepare the crib and its mythical santons. You can find them on most Christmas markets and on santon fairs. They will be used to compose the nativity scene which will include at least Mary, Joseph, the child Jesus, who will only be installed on the morning of the 25th, in a stable, surrounded by the ox and the gray donkey. To this biblical setting is often added that of a Provençal village where a shepherd looks after his sheep, a baker carries a bag of flour, and why not the Lou Ravi (the village idiot!!)...
Each year, it is customary to complete its nativity scene with new subjects. With us, the tradition is to write the name of the child who chose it and the year under the santon. Each child will be able to leave as an adult with his figurines when he wishes to compose his own nursery with his own children!
Each village has its Christmas market and often its santons fair. This is an opportunity to complete your last Christmas purchases, in a warm and friendly atmosphere. There are many Provencal specialties: tapenade, olive oil, shuttles, honey, focaccia, etc.
And if you are in the region at Christmas time, we strongly advise you to go to Les Baux de Provence: the sheepfold and the Christmas entertainment there are magical for children!
And to end with a treat, there would be no Provençal Christmas without the 13 desserts to be tasted on the evening of the 24th: oil pump or fougasse d'Aigues Mortes with orange blossom (see recipe on the last article of the blog), the four beggars, representing the different religious orders having taken a vow of poverty (walnuts or hazelnuts for the Augustinians, dried figs for the Franciscans, almonds for the Carmelites and raisins for the Dominicans), the apples, pears, verdaù (green melon), black nougat and white nougat, rowanberries and fresh grapes. Mandarins, sweets (chocolate, candied fruit, calissons), quince paste or other fruit pastes, bugnes, auricles and dates can be substituted or added to these desserts.
You will find these 13 desserts in a legendary scene from La Gloire de Mon Père!
Happy holidays to everyone !
Marie
Photo credit: Baux de Provence Tourist Office
