The Provençal Christmas Table

Susannah Cameron, founder and director of Chez Pluie, shares the tradition of l’art de la table with the help of some beautiful antiques

Ten years ago, my husband Hugh and I celebrated our first Christmas in Provence. The village square was transformed: centenaire plane trees strung with lights, the chapel alive with a nativity scene, and the air charged with a spirit we had never known before. We explored the Christmas markets of Vaison-la-Romaine, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence. Wooden chalets lined the streets, each one tended by artisans, chocolatiers and winemakers. They offered everything from handmade gifts to steaming mugs of vin chaud, fragrant with cinnamon and orange peel. Wandering those markets with friends and family under soft lights on a crisp wintry evening felt unforgettable. It has become simply part of December for us.

We feel fortunate to call this part of France home. My passion for French antiques makes Christmas decorating a pleasure. The table is always at the heart of the celebration: lit with candles, scented with pine and citrus, and set with objects that carry stories from long ago.

What matters most is not polish but the traditions we are shaping, and the sense of welcome around them. I choose pieces that are practical yet distinctive enough to bring character to the gathering.

At the centre of the table sits an antique soup tureen filled with blushing pamplemousse, oranges, lemons and limes. The fruit perfumes the room through the season, filling it with colour and freshness. The tureen can be moved to the kitchen counter or a console, carrying that sense of abundance after the Christmas dinner.

From there, the decoration winds its way down the table: pine branches, olive sprigs, pine cones and strands of fairy lights woven between antique candlesticks. Tucked among them are santons, the hand-painted terracotta figures Provence is known for. Santon comes from the Provençal word santoun, meaning ‘little saint’. First made during the Revolution, when churches were closed, they began as miniature nativities and soon included bakers, millers and shepherds the faces of village life. Families add to their collections year after year, so each figure carries both story and memory.
Crystal wine glasses catch the firelight, while patterned ironstone plates are paired with weighty antique cutlery, and soft linen napkins are gathered with vintage rings. These touches are not elaborate, but they make the table feel welcoming. I love bringing these pieces out. Together they create a setting that is unmistakably Provençal and distinctly ours.

These beautiful items can also make lasting gifts-objects to be used and enjoyed, not kept behind glass. Antiques shape the atmosphere of Christmas well beyond the table. We often bring out a marriage chest from our collection, painted with flowers and mellowed by time. Once symbols of union and prosperity, their green, red and cream tones now anchor the season’s decorations. We place them under the tree before Père Noël arrives, where their faded colours and worn wood pair with greenery, lanterns and seasonal flowers, carrying a sense of history into the celebration.

And of course, no Provençal Christmas is complete without les treize desserts. These 13 small sweets symbolise Christ and the apostles, each with its own meaning. Nougat blanc, made with almonds and honey, speaks of purity; nougat noir, brittle and dark, recalls life’s hardships. Grapes and winter fruits brighten the colder months. Figs, walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds echo both biblical tales and the season’s harvest. Calissons d’Aix, with their blend of almonds and candied melon, are a local treasure. Often a brioche crown completes the spread, its circle a sign of togetherness. Over the years, the lights in the square, the markets, the antiques and the desserts have become the building blocks of our Provençal Christmas; and each December we add more details of our own, and the season takes shape again.

www.chezpluie.com/collections/christmas

Discover more timeless pieces at chezpluie.com, offering worldwide delivery of authentic French antiques from Provence.

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