The People of Provence

The Provençal people share their unique local customs, traditions and legends, forged by centuries of history, superstition, mystery, myth and religion. Their joie de vivre focuses on friendship, fun, good wine and distinctive food.

We join games of petanque and watch les joutes, the fighting boats. We celebrate with the Knights of the Order of garlic and Order of Medusa. We see traditional, Provençal shepherds in the transhumance, and again with their animals during the Midnight Mass at Les Baux . We visit naïve religious art or ex-votos in  Provençal churches.

Christmas time in Provence is special with its crèche of hand-made clay santons, featuring age-old characters. We observe the craftsmen and girls who make and dress these figures in their traditional costumes.

We see an hilarious production of the Pastorale which keeps the Provençal language alive. We look into the origins of pastis, the national drink, visit the Marseille fish markets and participate in an oursinade or sea urchin festival at Carry-le-Rouet.  

   

CHAPTERS:

• Identity of the Provençal people
• Sporting traditions of petanque and les joutes
• Knights of the Order of Medusa
• Knights of the Order of garlic
• Christmas in Provence, the Provençal crèche and santons
• The Pastorale performed in the Provençal language
• Traditional shepherds and the transhumance
• Ex-votos as thanks offerings in Provençal churches
• Carnival of the Tarasque monster
• Tartarin of Tarascon. Re-enactment of Alphonse Daudet’s character
• The origins of pastis and its manufacture
• The fish markets of Marseille and an oursinade