On the French Riviera, the Christmas Eve is still imbued with a traditional and family spirit. The charming customs that made the magic of this celebration are still relevant in many Provencal families today. Especially the “Gros Souper”, the meal before the Midnight Mass, that ended with the traditional thirteen Christmas desserts. They symbolize the Christ and his twelve apostles, and must be served all at the time on the table. The desserts’ composition is a controversial matter in Provence, and the list varies from one city to the next. The most important is the number, but the choice of the traditional thirteen Christmas desserts is free enough, you can deal with what you found on the Christmas market, even if the symbolic desserts rather have to be respected. The guests have to taste all of them, serving them with a syrup based wine.
First of all, you find the dried fruits, called “les quatre mendiants”, to represent the habits of the mendicant order: figs for the Franciscans, almonds for the Carmelites, raisins for the Dominicans and nuts for the Augustines. Then you can have candied or fresh fruits, like pears, apples or oranges, especially preserved for the traditional thirteen Christmas desserts.
Last but not least, the confectioneries and pastries: the “pompe à huile”, a round flat biscuit made with olive oil, black or white nougat, “calissons”, “biscottines” or candied citrons.
For once, you can have traditional thirteen Christmas desserts in one night those you can enjoy without guilt! So take the most of them and merry Christmas!
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