One of the many things I love about French culture is the association of traditional foods around the many holidays here. In Paris and the rest of France, February the 2th is the celebration of Chandeleur or the Festival of Lights.
The majority of the French celebrate the holiday with crepes, but not in Marseille! There, the traditional food is the delicious little cookie shaped liked a boat called Navettes , because of the legend around Mary Magdalene!
You might wonder what in the world do boats have to do with Saint Marie Magdalene? Well actually a lot according to the traditional belief in Provence since 40 AD.
Dan Brown took that legend and made a fortune off of it, long after I had been intrigued of the story back in the 80’s when I began doing spiritual retreats at La Sainte Baume, near the Mediterranean coast.
At the Basilica of Saint Victor in Marseille, in addition to the traditional Catholic Festival of Lights commemorating the Purification of the Blessed Virgin and the Presentation of Jesus to the temple, they also commemorate the arrival of the three Maries.
Legend has it that Saint Mary Magdalene, her sister Martha, brother Lazarus,Joseph of Arimathea, Marie Salome, Marie Jacobe, Maximin and the servant Sarah, amongst others arrived by boat without oars from the Holy Land after the crucifixion of Christ around 40 AD.
They all landed at Saintes Maries de la Mer, which is a costal town southwest of Marseille in the Camargue region. From there Mary Magdalene headed towards Marseille, then on the grotto at Saint Baume, where she is attributed to having Christianized the whole south of France.
Saint Martha headed north towards Avignon and then Tarascon, where she is venerated there. Lazarus became the first Bishop of Marseille. Joseph of Arimathea went northwest and finally became the hermit Saint Amadour in Rocamadour, which I described in detail in a previous post.
Maximim went to Saint Maximim La Sainte Baume, which is named after him. It is there that the Basilica houses the relics of Saint Marie Magdalene.
Sarah stayed in Saintes Maries de la Mer with Marie Salome and Marie Jacobe and is the venerated Saint of the Gypsies, where her statue is carried in procession into the sea each May 24 th.
In Marseille, chandeleur starts in the darkness of the early morning at the ancient port celebrating the arrival of the boat with the “three Maries”. Then there is a torchlight procession carrying Notre Dame de Confession, Marseille’s Black Virgin to Saint Victor’s Basilica, where they stop at the bakery close to the church to bless the Navettes and the bakery as seen in the photo.
This bakery, Four des Navettes is the oldest in Marseille and has been baking the Navettes since 1781. After arriving in front of the Basilica, the green candles are blessed, and all proceed inside for the Mass.
Supposedly there is a tradition to try to keep your green candle burning till you return home, which must be difficult with all the wind blowing off the Mediterranean, especially if there is the mistral like this past Saturday!
Since I like both crepes and navettes, I made them both to celebrate the day. As mentioned in the title these cookies are made with orange flower water. I trekked off to La Grande Epicerie to buy the real l’eau au fleur d’oranger, which is a distillation of the Neroli flowers that are beautifully perfumed.
I refuse to use the aromatised variety often used in place. I also like to use it to make a cafe blanc, which is a hot infusion of water and a tablespoon or soon of the orange flower water. It is supposed to having calming soothing effects and I love the smell!
My crepes contribution was crepes stuffed with Grand Marnier souffle,(photo above)which you can use that liqueur also use to makes Crepes Suzette. The souffle mixture is not going to rise as much tucked into a crepe, and it will deflate much quicker that a souffle retained in a hot souffle dish!
I have wanted to go to Marseille and participate in their procession but have not made it yet. I have though been to Saintes Marie de la Mer to visit the venerated Saint Sarah, again not during the famous procession into the sea.
There are many recipes for Navettes, some made with just olive oil, and some made with butter. I made some using a combination of both, as after all this a speciality of Marseille , not Normandy, where you would use only butter!
My Navettes as seen in the photo are certainly cuter than those at those at the bakery and are not very sweet. You are supposed to savor the taste of orange flowers, not sugar!
Next week is Mardi Gras , which is happening early this year, so my native Louisiana, especially New Orleans is in the midst of the last of a string of parades before the frenzy of Mardi Gras on the 12th. And with that my friends, New Orleans certainly outshines by miles, any Mardi Gras here!
And besides N Orleans–the smaller towns, especially in South Louisiana have wonderful Mardi Gras celebrations– I believe Mardi Gras actually originated in Mobile–and in the little beach towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach–we really have great celebrations–
I have never been to the smaller ones in south Louisiana, which I too have heard they are great.
Here is Europe, Germany has a few parades, that I have attended near the French border and most French schools have Carnival day where students dress in costumes. I believe Nice has a carnival parade, but have never been.