The Provence Christmas Story a Tale of the Santons
Explore · Margo Lestz · Provencal History & TraditionsYou may know the traditional Biblical Christmas story, but in Provence, there is a bit more to it. The Provence Christmas story is told in a Nativity play called a pastorale. It incorporates the main details of the traditional Nativity but sets it in a nineteenth-century Provençal village.
…Continue reading here to learn about the importance of the shepherd’s song in Provençal Christmas traditions. Margo explains the characters in a typical creche scene, these tiny clay figures are called santons (little saints). In some villages and churches during the holidays, these nativity scenes begin to look like real small towns with figures that include bakers, millers, shepherds and many more.
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