French Cultural Christmas Traditions

My friend Joan, who succeed me as editor of the newsletter at my Washington, DC church (www.westernpresbyterian.org.), asked me to write up a submission for this month's edition on the French traditions of Twelfth Night. Below is what I sent her:

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night in France is celebrated on the first Sunday (after the first Saturday) in January. Families and friends gather to share the “galette du roi,” the King’s Cake, in which a tiny figurine, a fève (literally meaning a bean, which is what they put in galettes long ago) has been baked. The person who finds the fève is declared the king (le roi) or the queen (la reine) and gets to wear the paper crown that comes with the galette.

Provençal Santons

Another tradition in the south of France is the display of manger scenes with santons. Santons, from the Provençal "santoùon,” or little saints, are clay or wooden figurines that depict the people, traditional trades, activities and costumes of Provence. Santons derived from the idea of the Provençal inhabitants on their way to the Nativity with their humble, local offerings. Lucéram, an ancient perched village located about twelve miles north of Nice, is where I first saw this tradition come to life: in Lucéram the inhabitants display several hundred different manger scenes made with the santons throughout the town, in every nook and cranny, from window ledges to tiny niches in the walls to large building basements. I walked the circuit of the town with a group late one night, under a full moon, which made for a special Christmas memory.

Protestant Traditions in France

It was comforting to find familiar Christian Christmas traditions in the French Protestant church I attend in Nice, the Église Réformée. On the third Sunday in Advent, I felt right at home: during the service the children of the church acted out the Christ story (older children reading their parts, younger children in costumes dressed as angels). Also that morning I performed, along with 11 other church members in our small Choeur Gospel (Gospel Choir), familiar songs, including “Go Tell It On the Mountain” (in English) and “Lo, How A Rose E’re Blooming” (in German), as well as two other traditional French carols.

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Having written about the galette du rois, I felt like I had to experience this French tradition. So last Saturday, I went to my local Artisan Patisserie (every time I walk by it, I stare in its windows, everything looks good), and bought a small fruit galette. As the woman wrapped up my cake, she slipped in the paper crown, the prize for the person who found the prize in the cake. Priscilla and I shared the cake (less like cake than a soft brioche) that evening, with Priscilla recommending we eat the whole thing, to make sure we found the prize. But I found the prize, a small plastic cat, as I cut my first piece, and I put on the crown. The crown was decorated with symbols of New Year wishes, including the elephant, the symbol for long life, and the four-leafed clover, the symbol for good luck. The Chinese believe the cat is imbued with magical powers, and is the symbol for riches and prosperity. I'll take that wish!