CHRISTMAS IN PROVENCE TAUGHT ME THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS by Camille Aubray

When people tell me that the characters in my novels “feel like a good friend you can trust” I’m often asked where these characters came from. Many of them are inspired by my experience of living and working in southern Europe, especially the South of France, where I discovered the beautiful Provençal tradition of the santoùs or “little saints”. No matter what holiday you celebrate this season, there’s something in these iconic images that speak to us because they’ve been around, one way or another, since ancient times in many cultures.

The santoùs are specially carved and painted miniatures that dignify the “ordinary village folk” you meet—and rely on—every day, and in Provence they are added to the nativity scene to inspire affection for the people you know. Here you might see the baker, the fishmonger, the farmer carrying her basket of eggs, the schoolteacher, the nurse, the postman, the man who drives the train, the cheesemonger, the fellow who collects the trash.

The only rich folk here are three kings, also known as the three wise men, because instead of sitting on their thrones counting their money, they followed a star and travelled miles and miles to give precious gifts to a newborn baby and his gentle, impoverished parents.

The shepherds are here, too, because in southern Europe, shepherds are considered to be mystical people who spend a lot of time immersed in nature, looking after the animals, communing with the spirits. And the little drummer boy is here not because he’s a prodigy but because he is “a poor boy too” as the song goes and has nothing to give but his music.

What’s the take-away here? Is it about being poor? No. It’s about a word you never hear these days: modesty. Modesty begets genuine gratitude to the “little saints” we see every day—but do we really see them, or are they invisible to us? Being modest is such an underrated virtue and yet it’s the only way to stay human in what has increasingly become an inhuman world.

So take it easy, stop worrying about how you look online and whether you can impress your brother-in-law or your neighbor or colleague or boss. Nobody lives forever, even the people who keep trying to. So why not celebrate just being alive on this lovely earth?

Because my novels have lots of cuisine in them, people often ask me for recipes. So let’s all have a cup of homemade hot chocolate—here’s my recipe: http://www.camilleaubray.com/recipes-1/2022/12/4/how-to-make-real-homemade-hot-chocolate-by-camille-aubray —and put our feet up, listen to good music and enjoy the sparkle.

Whatever your holiday, most festivities at this time of year are about looking for the light. You are what you really worship, deep in your heart.

Love and joy to all!

Best wishes,

Camille Aubray

Camille Aubray is the author of the novels COOKING FOR PICASSO and THE GODMOTHERS.