The Provencal nativity scene
What are the origins of the Provençal Crèche?
If the first crèches date back to the 13th century, they are then tools of evangelization and catechism, the Provençal Crèche that we know today and that we find in all houses, churches and many town halls, is a tradition which dates back over 200 years. To be more precise in the early years of the French Revolution. All religious practice being prohibited, the Provençals got into the habit of reenacting at home the Christmas celebration which brought together the whole village. This is how in all the houses in Provence, France, Navarre and elsewhere, we install in addition to the tree decorated with balls and garlands a pretty nativity scene. We will therefore talk here about the nativity scene which is done in the traditional way in Provence and which is dear to our hearts to us inhabitants of Bar sur Loup who take care of lodges. During our discussions in our gites www.locations-06.fr we will talk about this beautiful tradition.
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What do we find in the traditional Provençal Crèche?
The biblical characters of course:
The Holy Virgin and Joseph to whom we must normally add on December 24 at midnight, and not before, the Child Jesus.
In addition to the biblical subjects, there are all the characters characteristic of village life that we find in the Pastorale Maurel.
La Pastorale Maurel, Qu'es aco?
La Pastorale is a play which takes place in Provence where the Nativity of Christ is recounted in the daily life of the Provencal people and the procession of shepherds who, learning of the birth of Christ, set out towards the stable where the child was born. At the end the Three Wise Men bring gifts.
This scene takes place during the calendal period, that is to say the Christmas period, from Saint Barbe’s Day on December 4 until Epiphany. The Maurel pastoral, created in 1844 in Marseille and written by Antoine Maurel, is articulated in 5 acts entirely in Provençal and is certainly still the most renowned today. The pastoral does not place the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago in Bethlehem as the Bible teaches us, but in the 19th century in a small Provençal village.
Who are the characters in the Provençal nativity scene?
These characters are numerous and all the santon makers create new ones each according to their inspiration and sometimes according to current events (as we recently saw Professor Raoult appear in the santon maker catalog).
In addition to the biblical characters, we will find: the blind man and his son, the gypsy, the grinder, the ravished, Grasset and Grassette, the miller, the washerwoman, the shepherds and their flock, the wise men (Melchior Balthazar and Gaspard, the Mayor, the Parish Priest, the fishmonger, the calissonnier, the wood porter, etc. And many others, all in 19th century costume which can be accompanied by more contemporary models.
A crèche is built over several generations. It grows from year to year with figurines or decorative elements that are chosen with care (bridge, well, watercourse, cypress and other trees, lavender, etc.).
