The Christmas Kalends of Provence: And Some Other Provençal Festivals

Thomas A. Janvier transports readers to a Provence that exists now mostly in memory: a world of wood fires, ancient customs, and Christmas traditions observed for generations. The author arrives at the home of Monsieur de Vièlmur, an old-school country gentleman devoted to preserving traditional Provençal ways, and is welcomed like family into the warmth of his household. The narrative follows the Christmas preparations, centered around the planting of Saint Barbara's grain, a ritual believed to divine the next harvest. Through characters like Misè Fougueiroun, the spirited housekeeper, we glimpse the communal joy of these festivities: the songs, the food, the intimate rituals that bind a community together across time. This is a book for anyone who has ever longed for a world that moves more slowly, where holidays were occasions for genuine reunion and ancient customs still held meaning.