Christmas in Provence – A Luxury Travel Blog : A Luxury Travel Blog

It’s almost that time of year… Christmas is on the horizon and I for one can’t wait! It’s a wonderful time to visit Provence with plenty of things to see and do.

An almost palpable sense of excitement can be felt as people take time out to visit the numerous Christmas markets and partake in uniquely Provencal Christmas traditions. If you’d like to really soak up the spirit of Christmas then a visit during December is a must!

Starting the festivities

The Christmas period in Provence is called ‘La Calendale’ and starts on the 4th December which is the day of the patron Sainte Barbe (St. Barbara). Traditionally wheat seeds are sewn in three saucers of moist cotton wool (a popular school project!). Legend gives that if the seeds successfully germinate then the harvest the following year will be good – just how good depends on how high the seedlings have grown by the 25th December. You’ll see these dishes of (hopefully) green shoots…

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