Spring has arrived, and with it the scents of blossoms, the pleasant weather, summer time and the delicious and special chocolates that characterize the holiday. If you stroll the streets of Aix en Provence you will notice shops with colorful and very interesting shelves full of chocolates in various shapes in honor of Easter.
Easter is a Christian holiday that symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on Friday and rose from the dead on Sunday. Christians commemorate the 40 days from Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem until his crucifixion and resurrection, during which they fast and eat little and varied food. The holiday is celebrated near the arrival of spring. The French call the holiday Les Pâques.
How is Easter celebrated in Provence?
If in many countries around the world, in countries where Easter is celebrated, you see hard-boiled eggs/porcelain eggs or any other decorated material, in France you will find chocolate eggs. A variety of different and colorful eggs, decorated, high-quality and unique. It is known that the French know how to celebrate properly and if they have the opportunity to celebrate with good food - Easter and chocolate go really well together!
What is truly amazing is that among the different stores, there is a respect for art and creativity, so that each patisserie carries a variety of chocolates that are different from the others, and each store, when you enter, will have an Easter collection that respects itself and a new feast for the eyes. The chocolates come in a number of different shapes, related to the symbols of the holiday, heralding the arrival of spring, the cycles of nature such as eggs and chickens, a rabbit as a symbol of fertility, fish due to the miracle of the bread and the fish.
And the last symbol you can find are chocolate bells. In fact, the reason for the bells is related to a lovely legend. About three days before Easter, children are told that all the bells have flown to Rome, to the Vatican for a church bell conference where they tell about the children from their village and the good things they do all year. If the children have behaved well, the bell is allowed to fly back to the church. For 3 days throughout Provence you will not hear a bell ring and after about three days all the children gather by the bells at 18:00 PM and wait for the bell to ring. And if you were wondering what they do with all the eggs they buy, on the first day of the holiday, children hide eggs around the house and garden and go on an Easter egg hunt. What exactly will you see on the shelves in stores? Look for the small, simple eggs wrapped in colorful paper. You can buy quality chocolate in the shape of holiday symbols by weight. A variety of eggs will also rest on the shelves, eggs of all sizes containing small chocolates in the shape of holiday symbols (chickens, fish, rabbits, bells and eggs).
Large bells are filled with chocolates and the real celebration is sculpted chocolate! Each shop takes its own freedom and creativity and produces its own impressive and unique sculptures. You can see figures of animals, statues of traveling circuses or famous figures. It may not be a Jewish holiday, but it is definitely a feast for the eyes, enjoy.
A few words about the author
Nurit moved to Provence following her partner's relocation. To make herself happy, she spent long hours wandering around the city where she lived, Aix-en-Provence, and thus got to know every corner of this city. From this was born the website Wow Provence, which contains a wealth of information about this region and offers you guided tours in Hebrew in Aix-en-Provence.