My Provencal Creche

7th January 2013

Today’s photo is of the Wise Men’s arrival at the stable to worship and bring gifts to the baby Jesus.

This is a photo of three quarters of my Provencal Crèche (a Nativity Scene).  My maternal family, whom I love very much, come from Provence, in France. Amongst many, many traditions from this region, this is one I am totally obsessed with.  On St Barbe’s day, (4^th December), families put up their crèche.  A crèche consists of the central stable scene of Mary, Joseph, the Ox and the Donkey and on Christmas day baby Jesus is also installed.

The compulsive obsessive part of this is the fact that one can collect other characters, animals, buildings etc to add to the overall scene.

The Santons as they are called, are made from clay, fired and hand painted. They come in many sizes- some even have hand made clothes. Mine are Les Numeros 2. There are many different workshops that make santons but the finest in my opinion (as I collect them) are the Carbonnel santons.

The santons represent people who are bringing gifts to Jesus- the Kings with their camel and elephant, bring Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Other people bring fish, garlic, ribbons, flowers, vegetables, fruit, cloth, poached game, music, roasted chestnuts, lavender, bread, flour, chickens, mulled wine, cabbage, squash, water and the poorest lady brings kindling wood fro the fire.  On the way they meet the horsemen and bulls from the Camargue, they pass through a market passing by the knife sharpener, the basket maker, they see the goats and sheep, the shepherds’, and people in traditional French costume. There is a Vagabond and a Poacher!! St Francis of Assisi arrives, as do the local priest and monk. 

And then the buildings you can buy……….

The crèche stays up until Candlemas, and then is packed away for another year.  Each year my aunt buys me a new santon to add to the collection. Each year I am excited when I unwrap each santon bring it to life again- the joy of remembering which ones I have is immense…..as is the hunt on the internet to see which is the new one for each Christmas!!!!