Why are 13 desserts served at Christmas in France?

They are thirteen different desserts (dried fruits, candies, sweets and so on), which represent Christ and his twelve apostles at the Last Supper. They normally start to be eaten following midnight mass, and should remain on the table for three days (it's tradition!).

Why are 13 desserts served at Christmas dinner in the Province region?

Following midnight mass, it is time for the 13 desserts. The amount has nothing to do with a baker's dozen but rather is equal to the number of participants around the table at the Last Supper; Jesus and his 12 apostles. The exact make-up of les treize desserts is not prescriptive.

What traditional dessert is served at Christmas in France?

French desserts. Unlike the rest of the meals, where there is no specific traditional dish, there is a conventional dessert that (practically) everyone is fond of! The Christmas buche! This is a rolled-cake with crème patisserie and chocolate or chestnut taste.

What tradition from Provence includes a platter of thirteen different desserts?

The thirteen desserts (Occitan: lei tretze dessèrts) are the traditional dessert foods used to celebrate Christmas in the French region of Provence. The "big supper" (le gros souper) ends with a ritual 13 desserts, representing Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles.

Where would you eat thirteen desserts at Christmas?

Thirteen Desserts Thirteen desserts will be served at le gros souper in honor of Jesus and his twelve disciples. That's right -- more religious symbolism. (I am not religious myself, but I appreciate the historical reference as to why things are a certain way or a certain amount.)

Christmas in France: 13 desserts and other interesting facts

What do the 13 desserts represent?

In Provence, the 'thirteen desserts' are intimately associated with the Christmas festivities. But what are they, exactly? They are thirteen different desserts (dried fruits, candies, sweets and so on), which represent Christ and his twelve apostles at the Last Supper.

Which country eats 12 dishes on xmas Eve?

The tradition is especially cultivated in modern-day Poland, where alternatively thirteen meatless dishes on Christmas Eve are sometimes served.

How many different desserts do French people traditionally eat for their Christmas meal?

One of the best-known French Christmas dessert recipes is the Bûche de Noël—a rich, yule-log-shaped cake decorated with powdered sugar, chocolate and other fun (and flavorful) decorations. In France's Provence region, you might find the famous “Thirteen Desserts,” which represent Jesus and his apostles.

How many desserts are there traditionally in Provence?

According to Catholic tradition, the 13 desserts represent Christ and his 12 apostles at the Last Supper. Carefully prepared, they are presented on the Christmas table to be enjoyed after the “big supper”. Each dessert has a symbolic meaning and reveals a piece of Provence's gastronomic heritage.

What is a pais vasco dessert?

The Basque cake, pastel Vasco in Spanish or gâteau basque in French, is a traditional cake or pie that has a rich cookie-like crust and a creamy pastry cream filling. Often the filling is flavored with rum-soaked berries or raisins.

What is France's signature dessert?

The earliest known recipe for a dish resembling French crème brûlée can be traced back to a 1691 cookbook by French chef François Massialot. This creamy vanilla custard base topped with a caramelized sugar hard crust is without doubt the most loved dessert in France.

What is the most popular Christmas tradition in France?

Le Réveillon de Noël

In France, Christmas Eve dinner is the most important celebration time.

Which country the Christmas table is always set with an even number of dishes regardless of the number of guests?

A friend of ours from the Czech Republic informed us that a similar tradition is practiced there too, but that it is applied only during the Christmas dinner: the table must be set for an even number of guests.

What country eats a 12 course meal on Christmas?

Tradition calls for 12 traditional courses to be served during the Polish Christmas Eve. This number is a symbol of wealth, the 12 Apostles and a representation of the 12 months of the year. But in the past, dinner consisted of an odd number of dishes. The preparation of the traditional dishes takes a lot of time.

Where did the tradition of eating dessert after dinner come from?

The most curious and what many may not know is that the habit of eating sweets goes back to Ancient Rome. Although the sweets began to become popular with the discovery of bee honey many years before it was not until the arrival of the Roman Empire when it spread the habit of eating sweets at the end of a meal.

What is the French Christmas tradition called Les Treize?

The thirteen desserts, or Les Treize Desserts, are a long-standing tradition in Provence, adding a unique touch to the Christmas season. These desserts are shared with family and friends following the Christmas Eve meal, each representing an aspect of regional culture, history, or religious significance.

What country doesn't eat meat on Christmas Eve?

An Italian Christmas Eve Dinner—only fish, please!

According to tradition, the meal for Christmas Eve, La Vigilia, doesn't include any meat. It's all about fish and vegetables.

Why don't Polish eat meat on Christmas Eve?

In fact, most traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinners are completely vegetarian! This is because, in the past, people would fast for religious reasons and could not eat meat during this time. Nowadays, many Poles still choose to forego meat on Christmas Eve as a way to honour their traditions.

What is the dessert in the north of France?

The pastry specialties of the north of France include Tarte Tatin, Brioche Vendéenne, Eclairs, Napoleons, Madeleines, Pain d'épices, just to name a few.

What dessert is said to be prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his 12 disciples?

There is a popular myth that plum pudding's association with Christmas goes back to a custom in medieval England that the "pudding should be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, that it be prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles, and that every family member stir it in turn from east to ...

What unusual dessert became popular during the Great Depression?

A common depression cake is also known as "Boiled Raisin Cake", "Milkless, Eggless, Butterless Cake", or "Poor Man's Cake". "Boiled" refers to the boiling of raisins with the sugar and spices to make a syrup base early in the recipe.

What is a Madeleine French dessert?

Madeleines are very small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape acquired from being baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions. A génoise sponge cake batter is used. The flavour is similar to, but somewhat lighter than, sponge cake. Traditional recipes include very finely ground nuts, usually almonds.

What is a colonel dessert in France?

The colonel is a French classic, that you don't see as often anymore. The original is lemon sorbet with a shot of vodka poured on top. It's meant to rejuvenate you after a big meal, and can be either a pre-dessert or a dessert.

What is Poland's famous dessert?

A baked cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts in Poland, made primarily by using twaróg, a type of fresh cheese. Apple cake called szarlotka or jabłecznik is made from sweet crust pastry and spiced apple filling.