In Provence and the rest of France, Christmas is a long festive season lasting over two months with many holiday traditions. While there are commercial aspects to the holidays in France, many historical customs continue annually. At this time of year, there is vin chaud, little saints (santons), thirteen desserts, charming holiday markets, and tiny pots of wheat. Let’s dive into this festive guide to the Christmas traditions in Provence.
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Key Festive Dates
While some holiday markets begin in late November, and public decorations are often installed before the beginning of December, the official Christmas period starts on December 4, Saint Barbara’s Day. The big supper (le grand souper) occurs on the evening of December 24. Epiphany (Epiphanie) always lands on January 6, the date that, according to the Christian faith, is when the three Wise Men arrive in Bethlehem bearing gifts. It’s also a day when you can eat cake – galette des rois – almost guilt-free. The holiday calendar officially closes on February 2, 40 days after Christmas, with Candlemas and a chance to eat pancakes or crepes.
Season’s Greetings
Meilleurs vœux is a phrase that is often said in French. Whether you are closing out a letter or wishing someone a speedy recovery. However in December, les meilleurs voeux pour la saison des fêtes means happy holidays or season’s greetings. In North America and the United Kingdom, the custom (before e-cards) was to send holiday cards, often with family photos and an update on the past year. The tradition in France is to send cards at the beginning of the year in January and wish everyone tous nos meilleurs vœux de bonne et heureuse année !
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Holiday Markets
The Christmas markets in Provence may not have the notoriety of the enormous holiday markets in Alsace, such as Strasbourg, Colmar, and Eguisheim. However, at this time of the year, Provence experiences reasonably mild weather, so the Christmas markets are usually held in the open air. Associated with the celebration of Christmas, you can find everything related to holiday celebrations and Saint-Nicolas. The stalls often have wooden facades, making the Christmas markets look like authentic little villages. Strolling through the alleys and letting yourself be guided by the smells and colours represent an absolute pleasure for tourists and locals.
More on Festive Christmas Markets in Provence
The holiday markets are a chance to buy gifts and enjoy a glass or two of vin chaud. Merchants share their chocolat chaud and pain d’épices and wrap our purchases with extra decorative ribbons, whether they are gifts or not. There is something so undeniably charming about les marchés de Noël, even the tiny ones in unfamous villages.
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Sainte Barbe’s Wheat
Saint Barbara (Sainte Barbe) is the patron saint of miners, fireworks and firefighters. The Christmas in period Provence officially begins on December 4, the feast day of Saint Barbara. Several legends surround the story of this Saint, and while we are unsure of the correct version, this is the day to “plant” wheat by germinating the seeds in three saucers covered with damp cotton. The saucers are placed on the fireplace or in the crib. The elders say the next year will be prosperous if the stems grow straight and green. These small miniature fields are placed in the family’s creche.
Quand lou blad vèn bèn, tout vèn bèn ! (old Provencal)
Quand le blé va bien, tout va bien !
When the wheat goes well, all is good! (rough translation)
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Santons
Santons are little clay figurines depicting the biblical characters – baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Wisemen. Anyone expecting the “typical” nativity scenario might be surprised by the Provencal version with figures representing the butcher, baker, fishmonger, sheep herder and many other village residents. Traditionally, the figures were handcrafted, and while some artisans still carry on the work, many santons are mass-produced today.
In 1797, Jean-Louis Lagnel created the first figure from a clay mould, opening the door to large-scale production. The word santon was established in 1826, several years after his death. Thérèse Louis Neveu, a woman from the village of Aubagne near Marseille, improved upon the clay figurine by introducing kiln firing as a step in the process. This process significantly improved the lifecycle of the figures.
Today, although modern techniques reduce the production time for the santons, it remains an artisanal trade, and visiting artists’ (santonnièrs) studios is possible. During the holidays in Provence, you will see these nativity scenes when you visit churches or private homes. Since 1803, the annual Foire des Santonniers occurs in Marseille during the Christmas period with many artisan santonnièrs—any time of the year, head to Aubagne to see the artisans at work in their ateliers.
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Where to find Santons
Order Online from Remember Provence
Musée du Santon et des Traditions de Provence
Place de la colonne,
84800 Fontaine de Vaucluse
Musée des Santons
Les Baux de Provence
Le Village des Santons
With 3000+ santons and 19 village scenes
16 avenue Antide Boyer
13400 Aubagne
Le Village Provençal Miniature
The display has over 1000 figures and 70 Provençal scenes.
La Petite Tuilière, 26230 Grignan
Nativity Play
If you are in Provence in December, there is a possibility that you might encounter a life-sized nativity scene with humans acting as biblical figures. La Pastorale is a nativity play with Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, and baby Jesus. The word pastorale means “shepherd’s song” and refers to the Biblical Christmas story where the shepherds are the first to hear the good news. Early pastorales told only the Biblical narrative of the birth of Jesus, but in the mid-1800s, Antoine Maurel, a Provençal poet, added some local flavour. His pastorale was among the first to incorporate the Provence villagers and add a bit of Provençal humour.
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More on Santons and the Creche
Christmas Eve Dinner
In France, Christmas Eve is when Provençal dinner tables are set with three white tablecloths for the gros souper (translation: big supper). The symbolism surrounding the table preparation is deliberate. The three layers of white fabric represent the holy trinity. The table decorations are not elaborate but simply acknowledge the fruits of agricultural labour each year – sprouted wheat from the Fête of Sainte Barbara and carafes of sweet wine (vin cuit) from the fall harvest.
Provence’s typical Christmas Eve meal is meatless, with seven fish and vegetable dishes on the lighter side but not insignificant. These plates might include omelettes, salted cod, potatoes – brandade de morue, ratatouille, and a local garlic soup. The number of dishes represents Mary’s seven sorrows.
13 Desserts
Following midnight mass, it is time to partake in the 13 desserts. The amount has nothing to do with a baker’s dozen but is equal to the number of participants around the table at the Last Supper: Jesus and his 12 apostles. The exact make-up of les treize desserts is not prescriptive. However, the sweets generally fall into four categories: dried fruit and nuts, fresh seasonal fruit, fruit preserved in sugar syrup and sweetened bread. While the 13 desserts are enjoyed after mass, the selection remains within reach until December 27.
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The Four Beggars: Four monastic religious orders (Augustin, Carmelites, Dominicans and Franciscans) are represented by dried fruit (figs, raisins, apricots) and nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts).
Almonds = Carmelites
Dried Figs = Franciscans
Raisins = Dominicans
Walnuts or Hazelnuts = Augustines
Good and Evil: There are always two kinds of nougat representing good (white) and evil (black).
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Epiphany and Cake
This religious feast is celebrated on January 6, but Epiphany is not a holiday. It can be celebrated on the second Sunday after Christmas. The French celebrate Epiphany throughout January. Throughout this period, magnificent Galettes des Rois adorn bakery windows.
Cette fête est une fête religieuse. Elle est célébrée le 6 janvier. L’Epiphanie n’est pas un jour férié. Elle peut se fêter le deuxième dimanche après Noël. En réalité, les Français célèbrent l’Epiphanie tout au long du mois de janvier. Pendant toute cette période, de magnifiques galettes des rois ornent les vitrines des boulangeries et pâtisseries pour le grand plaisir des petits et des grands.
©Francois de Melogue
Not only is Galette des Rois or King’s Cake delicious, but there’s a surprise. A small figurine is hidden in the pastry, sandwiched among the rum-scented layers of frangipane (almond cream) and puff pastry. The figurine, known as a fève, was historically a tiny bean but changed to a ceramic figurine in the late 1800s. Whoever finds the fève (if they haven’t broken a tooth) gets to wear a crown and be king or queen for the day!
Candlemas – La Chandeleur
A Christian holiday and festival of lights, Candlemas, occurs on February 2, forty (40) days after the birth of Jesus Christ. Also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the word Candlemas comes from “candela” in Latin. During pagan times, February signalled the return to the fields and the beginning of the new growing season. In 472, Pope Gelase I established Candlemas to celebrate lighting candles to ward off evil, sickness and poor weather conditions. Pancakes or crepes are traditionally served on February 2 to represent the sun and the pending end of winter.
Happy Holidays! Meilleurs vœux !