If there is a dish that has unanimous appeal with young and old alike it’s crepes. Savory or sweet, buckwheat or wheat, all enjoy.
In Provence as elsewhere, crepes are the opportunity for friends and family to get together around a friendly meal where everything is eaten with the fingers.
The origin of Candlemas
Candlemas is an old feast whose origins go back to the Roman empire. It’s during the Middle Ages that the feast of Candlemas as we know it was born.
Candlemas is celebrated 40 days after Christmas and the birth of the baby Jesus, February 2nd.
Originally, a dish of wheat was eaten to make spring come back faster and pray that the wheat harvest be abundant.
During years of famine, the tradition was kept, but slightly modified.
One made then a fine lace of wheat with the year’s surplus wheat.
This is how crepes were born.
Their round shape were reminiscent of the sun, this is also one reason they were made for Candlemas.
It is the time of year when days get longer the fastest.
While making the first crepe, one would hold a gold coin in the left hand.
One would flip the crepe with the right hand and if it was caught properly, the gold coin was placed in its center, then the crepe was folded and put on top of an armoire until the next Candlemas when the coin was offered to a pauper.
Candlemas in Provence
Candlemas in Provence there are crepes but that is not all
It is also the time for the delicious Navettes de Saint Victor which got their name from Saint Victor Abbey located on the heights of the Vieux Port of our beautiful Marseille.
During Candlemas, in this beautiful Abbey, green colored candles are blessed as well as navettes which have been made forever in a bakery close to the Abbey. In the shape of a boat, they would represent the landing of the Black Virgin in the 13th century, others compare them to beautiful ears of wheat. Still today, on Candlemas, there is a procession from the Abbey to the Vieux Port.
Our seniors keep a navette and a green candle for one year and during the following Candlemas the candle is burned and the navette is eaten.
As a bonus, the recipe for crepes:
Enjoy)
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