Candlemas, popular tradition , "les navettes" of Saint-Victor, Marseilles

It was at Candlemas that large and small blow pancakes at home. What a gourmet pleasure!

Indeed, on February 2 of each year, this popular custom is practiced among others, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

Like many popular festivals , Candlemas is a Christian holiday . This Christian religious festival is also known as the Presentation of the Lord . Indeed, it is the Christians who celebrate the day when Mary and Joseph present Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem, exactly 40 days after his birth. The term Candlemas comesfrom the Latin candelorum meaning candle .

The tradition of making pancakes can be traced back to that time because the pancake , with its round shape and golden color symbolizes the sun and the light source. According to tradition, blow pancakes at Candlemas promises happiness throughout the year . If, in addition, one holds a coin by blowing a crepe, one says that one ensures the prosperity. Another tradition is to put the first pancake in a cupboard to have good crops!

So, ready to blow a pancake?

Recipe:
Ingredients / for 4 people
250g of flour
4 eggs
1/2 l of milk
1 pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
50 g of melted butter

The tradition of Marseilles , " les navettes "

The recipe of the biscuits (the "navettes") of Saint Victor is kept ultra secret by the oldest bakery of Marseilles, the oven of the shuttles.

  http://www.saintvictor.net/?lang=fr

The "navette" is a traditional cylindrical pastry, shaped like a small barque (shuttle) 7 to 8 cm long, created to commemorate the arrival of the Saint-Lazare and the two "Maries" - Sainte-Marie Magdeleine and Sainte-Marthe. Anchored at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, in Provence, on 2 February, almost 2000 years ago.

Near the Abbey of Saint-Victor, in the heart of Marseille, the oven of shuttles has not stopped baking this pastry since 1781. But when the Chandeleur comes on the second day of February, after the procession, all World tastes shuttles.

The archbishop of Marseille blesses a batch of these biscuits and on February 12, the Black Madonna of the abbey makes an appearance in the said chapel.

Blessing of "navettes" :http://www.saintvictor.net/Benediction-des-navettes.html

Enjoy