Provence Traditional celebrations

As the historical capital of Provence, Aix perpetuates the ancestral ways and customs around public festivals and family celebrations. This culture joyfully blends tradition and modern creativity to establish an identity, that of Aix and more largely that of Provence.

	Provence celebrations		The Magi
	Christmas in Provence		Aix Carnival

The celebrations

The cultural activity of Provence, linked to Aix for over a century, notably through the majoral Jean-Baptiste Gaut, aims to demonstrate and share the many aspects of a lively tradition.. Music, dance, history and literature are to be found in the celebrations organised at the Oustaou de Provence (parc Jourdan) and in the town.

- at the beginning of December the Christmas Concert by the Tambourin Academy takes place. The tambourin, a long cylindrical drum, and an essential element of Provencal dance, is accompanied by a three holed flute, the galoubet.

- In April, the festival of the Provence tambourin, organised by the Li Venturié association is an opportunity to witness a great regional gathering of "tambourinaires"- the tambourin players. Drumming contests, concerts, a tambourin forum and public serenades resound throughout the town.

The Roumavàgi of Saint Victoire, or the climb of the Saint Victoire mountain, takes place on the last Sunday of April: a mass with Provencal songs at the priory chapel, blessing of the mountain and of Aix country with traditional music and dances.

Finally, in mid-September, the Parc Jourdan hosts the Festival of the Mistral (fête Mistralienne). Setting off from the town hall, groups of musicians and dancers gather in the Parc Jourdan around the bust of Mistral. This ceremony is anything but old-fashioned. On the contrary, it underlines the modernity of Mistral’s work and the dynamism of a culture enriched over the centuries and transmitted from generation to generation.