Provence is a great sunny picture where inhabitants, traditions and historical past have left their mark forever. Faithful to its culture and despite the passing of time, it has remained proud of its land, its nature and its local customs, especially during the end of year celebrations which are the occasion for some unmissable events. Christmas markets, santon fairs, living cribs, here we do not joke with traditions. Happy holidays!
Long live Christmas traditions!
It is certainly the most important religious festival in Provence. On December 24th, the whole family gathers, from the great-grandparents to the youngest child. In some farms, the workers working on the land and far from home are also invited to this gathering. The day before, the log ceremony began. Surrounded by all the members of the family (parents, relatives, employees), the father lit a log of fruit tree wood in the hearth, lit the fire after having sprinkled it three times with cooked wine while pronouncing the ritual words "alègre, alègre". Once the rite was completed, it was time to go to the table for the big supper. The cutlery was set on a table covered with three tablecloths, a symbol of the Trinity, but also a sign of the family's prosperity, a symbol reinforced by the presence of three candles. This feast consisted only of lean dishes, vegetables and fish. Then came the thirteen desserts (symbol of the Last Supper, Jesus and the twelve apostles): fougasse, black and white nougats, beggars, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, figs, raisins and fresh fruit kept in the attic. The pastry log would only appear later, replacing the ritual log mentioned above. Once the big supper was over, it was time to go to midnight mass. Everyone in the village made their way to the church, pounding the frozen ground under the glittering vault of the sky. Under the vaults of the chapel, the vigil began. Hymns, carols and pastorals, mysteries in the sense of medieval theatre, resounded. The priest could now officiate the three low masses described by Alphonse Daudet in Letters from my Windmill. In a corner of the church was built the crib with its santons (clay figurines finely gouached) in the effigy of the representative characters of the village and the Holy Family. In other, richer places, the crib was sometimes said to be alive. Each santon was embodied by a villager as, for example, in Baux-de-Provence where the shepherds come to offer a live lamb to the baby Jesus. Once the last mass was over, everyone went back home. It was then time to give the gifts to the children. On December 25, the whole household gathered around the table for the fat Christmas feast with its traditional turkey.
The land of timeless santons
Santons have illuminated the childhood of Provence. The delighted man, the remoulaire, the miller and his donkey, the drummer, the fisherman and the hunter, the old woman with the bundles and then again the mayor and the priest... They continue to illustrate a kind of mimodrama inscribed in the family unit and in the popular spirit. In their silence, in their frozen clay gestures, the "little saints" continue to live and to tell us the renewed but always marvellous gesture of the Nativity, the birth of a little Jesus in a stable at Christmas. Santons are inseparable from the cribs, which are themselves intimately linked to the Pastorals. From the second half of the 18th century, the earthenware makers of the Pays d'Apt and Moustiers made small earthenware figurines. It was the workshop of Antoine Batellier et fils that popularized the santon. Other santon makers worked in Marseille, Aubagne, Aix, Jouques, Venelles, in the Var, in the Comtat and in Apt. For more than a century and a half, the santon has held its ground despite the horde of mechanical, remote-controlled and computerized toys!
And during the end of year celebrations, every year since 1803 (!), the santons reappear in Marseille, from the end of November to the end of December. The craftsmen's "roulottes" are now always located in the heart of the city centre near the Vieux Port, on the well-named Quai du Port. About twenty exhibitors present the essential items, as well as their novelties of all sizes: from the "chip" santon to the largest, depending on the place and size of your crib. The list continues to grow, because tradition dictates that each year a new character is born and comes to integrate the Provencal cribs! A program of musical entertainment is organized in a festive atmosphere! Also to be discovered in Aubagne with its ceramic and santon market on the Cours Foch, in Allauch and on the Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence. Here, throughout December, meet in front of the Brasserie de la Rotonde for a lovely fair and a beautiful showcase of the art of santon making. It gathers the main santonniers of Aix-en-Provence like the santons Fouque and their famous "Coup de Mistral". If you don't want to buy a santon "made in China", you have to pay the price, and beware of imitations! The inauguration of the fair takes place on the last weekend of December. It is preceded by the traditional mass of the santon makers celebrated in Provencal and animated by Provencal songs, galoubets and tambourines.
Finally, in Carpentras, the santonniers' exhibition opens its doors at the end of December in the sober and majestic chapel of the College. About twenty exhibitors and nearly 5,000 figurines are on sale and on display, witnesses and guarantors of a typical Provencal know-how. During this same period, you will find animations for children and demonstrations of know-how as, for example, a workshop of modelling and painting of the santon
Christmas markets not to be missed..
After wandering from Marseille to Aix-en-Provence to discover the art of santon making, it's time to enjoy the Christmas markets. Obviously, in the whole region, each town and village will offer its own. But the Petit Futé had two favourites: Cassis and Avignon. In Cassis, you will discover a very charming Christmas market in the small Provencal port, whose alleys come alive in the respect of traditions. Of course, Santa Claus is present with his donkey and, in the alleys, you will happily come across a living crib, a barrel organ player, storytellers and other street singers, creative workshops, etc
In Avignon, in addition to the street shows and concerts, the Place Pie and the rest of the city centre become particularly festive with many animations for children (village of the Goblins and the Grand Manège Sapin). Take advantage of this to admire the superb crib installed in the Célestins church, next to the Santonniers market, the ice rink and Father Christmas' chalet on the Place de l'Horloge. As you will have understood, like the east of France, Provence is the country of traditional and festive Christmas. A perfect opportunity for a little family getaway before the holidays..
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