There are many different ways of celebrating Christmas all around France. This past week, I was able to explore the beginning of the Christmas festivities here in Aix-en-Provence at the Noël à Aix-en-Provence market and festival! The festival lasts from November 14th until January 11th.
I learned about the tradition of collecting and displaying santons in Provence. Santons are small clay figurines that can depict anything from animals to traditional professions to religious figures. During the Christmas season, people set up elaborate displays of miniature villages, called crèches, complete with small people and animals, recreating scenes from the Provencial countryside. Another use for the figures is to set up scenes from the Christian Bible, particularly Nativity scenes as these relate to the Christian tradition of Christmas. The santons are typically hand-made and hand-painted by santonniers, and each one is unique.
