Do you prefer frangipane cake or the King's Crown? In Provence, Epiphany is a tradition that combines expertise, traditions, and exceptional local products..
In the South of France, Epiphany is clearly different from the traditions of the North. Here, we're not talking about a frangipane puff pastry, but rather a king cake or crown of kings, a brioche flavored with orange blossom and decorated with candied fruits from the landr.
Here in Provence, we eat the crown of Kings, not the "galette des Parisiens"!
Everybody knows it, in the south we are greedy ! We have a taste for good things and a love of traditions that bring us together 🙂
- From the St. Barbara, on December 4, the Provençals plant wheat to decorate the table of 13 sweets Christmas. Epiphany extends this spirit of sharing by bringing family and friends together around the wreath...
- The candied fruits used to garnish the crown often come from local know-how and gastronomy.
- The bean, once a simple dried bean, takes on an artistic dimension here: in Provence, it can represent a santon, a tribute to artisanal heritage.
It's also the time to showcase our bakers and pastry chefs, with their windows overflowing with delicious and colorful creations from the beginning of January!
Epiphany, whose name comes from the ancient Greek "epiphaneia", meaning "manifestation", traditionally celebrates the visit of the Three Wise Men to the Infant Jesus.
Roman origins
Long before the Christian Epiphany, ancient Rome celebrated Saturnalia, festivals dedicated to Saturn, god of agriculture. These celebrations marked the end of the harvests and gave rise to sumptuous feasts where the social hierarchies were reversed : slaves took the place of their masters, a symbol of renewal and temporary equality.
A " king for a day » was designated by means of a bean hidden in a cake, a tradition that has spanned centuries to become the emblem of the modern Epiphany.
These festive traditions, centered on sharing, celebration and role reversal, find an echo in today's Epiphany, notably with the famous king cake and its bean.
Today: a friendly ritual
Epiphany often extends over several days, or even several weeks in January for the most greedy among us, because the families, the and even colleagues work regularly meet to share a crown... especially since the one who pulls the bean has the privilege of bringing home the next cake! This tradition truly embodies the art of living here: conviviality, the pleasure of eating well, and the connection with local heritage.
Frédéric Mistral left us a written account, in his work "Mes origines" (My Origins), about this celebration:
"And so, all together, tousled children and blond little girls, in bonnets and little clogs, we set off on the Way of..."Arles"Our hearts leaped with joy, our eyes filled with visions, and we carried in our hands, as we had been told, cakes for the Kings, dried figs for the pages, and hay for the camels."
Provençal traditions
Themes
