Joyeux Noël!
The Christmas season has been in full swing in Aix-en-Provence since the beginning of December. I have already mentioned to a few of you that it feels like I've been living in Disneyland...and if you look at the pictures below I think you'll see why.
I kicked off the month of December by playing in the orchestra for a Christmas Carol service at the Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur. The choir sang traditional English Christmas carols, but the service was conducted in both English and French. The cathedral was packed, with close to 1000 locals coming out to celebrate!
Christmas Carols
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| Opening songs performed by a local violin school. Photo Credit to AprylZA. |
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| Hard at work holding down the harmony. Photo Credit to AprylZA. |
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| Everyone was in the Christmas spirit! Photo Credit to AprylZA. |
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| The choir...ready to sing some more carols! Photo Credit to AprylZA. |
Cours Mirabeau
Throughout the month I enjoyed walking through the center of town whenever possible to see the lights, visit the Christmas markets, people watch, and even drink some vin chaud (hot wine typical of northern France). The tiny Christmas chalets sell a variety of artisan gifts and different foods. It's very common to see people stopping by to eat a crêpe, candied apple (pomme d’amour...apple of love), cotton candy, or some other sweet treat.
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| Fountain at La Rotonde. |
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| A view down the Cours Mirabeau in the center of Aix. |
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| Christmas chalet selling stuffed toys. |
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| Christmas chalet selling local candies. |
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| A ride in Santa's sleigh? |
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| Or a quick spin with a Teletubbie? |
Fontaine aux jouets
In addition to the fun and games, the people of Aix spend time at Christmas to give back to the community. La Fontaine aux jouets was an event hosted by the town where people stopped by to fill the fountain with toys (jouets) and games for local children in need.
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| The advertisement posted around town |
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| Fountain full of toys |
Sainte-Lucie
On December 13th, I attended the Fête de la Sainte-Lucie. The celebration is a festival of light, traditionally marking the longest night of the year and honoring Lucie of Syracuse. A girl portraying "Sainte-Lucie" is dressed in a white robe with a wreath of candles on her head. She is followed by other girls and boys (dressed as Magi) that sing throughout the procession.
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| Sainte-Lucie exiting the cathedral |
Following the service in the cathedral, the procession continued through the streets of Aix to the Hôtel de Ville (city hall). I've included a link so you can hear some of the traditional music: http://youtu.be/Dhy6gQrJuLo
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| Procession through the streets of Aix. |
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| Sainte-Lucie |
I found it impressive that Sainte-Lucie had candles burning on her head for over an hour!
I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of the Christmas traditions in Aix so far. In case you didn't notice, I titled this "Part 1" because there is more to come! Other December news includes me moving into my new apartment with 2 French roommates and the start of my Christmas vacation in a town called Pau (south western France at the base of the Pyrenees). I hope everyone is having an enjoyable holiday season! Much love <3
A+
Danielle
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