Do you celebrate the festival of the "13 desserts of Christmas" in France with your French students? Most commonly known to be celebrated in Provence, the 13 desserts represent Christ and the 12 apostles at the Last Supper. The 13 desserts is celebrated throughout France and does not have a specific 13 desserts as the desserts vary from region to region. There are, however, certain guidelines that are followed.
The core items of the 13 desserts include raisins, nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts), dried figs and almonds. These 4 items represent the 4 beggars or mendicant friars who originally owned neither personal or community property. --- 4 items
There is also a pastry (Pompe à l'huile ) included which is made with olive oil. This could be a round brioche, for example. This is never "cut" with a knife but broken as would have been done at the Last Supper. ---- 1 item
You will also see two types of nougat. A black or dark nougat represents "evil" and a white one representing "good". ---- 2 items
The remaining six items can be a combination of different dessert items. That could include some of the following: -- 6 items
- Pain d’épice or
gingerbread
- Bûche
de Noel or Yule Log
- Casse-dents
of Allauch
biscuits
- fresh or candied fruit
- other fresh fruits
- fudge
- dates or prunes stuffed with marzipan
- grilled
apricot decorated with star anise
- raisins in milk chocolate infused with lavender
- quince paste or jam
- other variations of desserts depending on the region of France
This can be a fun and culturally based activity for you to do with your classes. Divide the students up into pairs or small groups so that the cost of desserts/items is less and less time consuming for the students.
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À la prochaine
Lorraine
