The story behind France's 'little saints' of Christmas

So what is a Santon? And how do you pronounce it?

A Santon (sounds like sonn-tonn) is a small, handmade clay figurine.

The characters typically represent vegetable sellers, bakers, men selling chestnuts, local dignitaries, or other personalities from daily village life. 

And they're quite little indeed, usually between two and 15 centimetres in height. 

Where do I find them?

In nativity scenes all over France - but especially in the south. They originated in Provence. More on this later.

Are these a new thing?

Hardly. They've been around in various forms for hundreds and hundreds of years, but first took a clay form at the end of the 18th century thanks to the handiwork of Marseille-born artist Jean-Louis Lagnel.

He is generally credited with inventing the product as we know it today, although it wasn't until after his death in 1822 that they were called "Santons". Indeed, in Lagnel's time the figurines weren't heated up during the production process, so didn't last nearly as long as they do today. 

Hang on, the end of the 18th century? This smells of the French revolution!

Indeed, well spotted. The French revolution saw nativity scenes banned and churches closed, so making the little saints was a way of secretly maintaining the religious traditions - at risk of being guillotined, of course. 

The word Santon literally translates as "Little Saint", but there is just as much a focus on the other characters in a village, as well as Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. 

These nativity scenes are supposed to be representative of the ideal Provencal village.

How do you make a Santon?

With great patience, at least according to the ten-minute video below (which is well worth a watch).

If you haven't got a spare ten mins, here's the brief version:

An artist - called a santonnier - carves the figurine from clay, makes a two-piece plaster cast of it, then makes several more figurines from the plaster form. 

The Santons are then dried, thrown in the kiln, and then hand painted, usually in very bright colours. 

Santonniers often go to great lengths to make the backgrounds of the nativity scene too, including making buildings, using local produce for trees and plants, and putting clothes on the figurines. 

Can I see them being made somewhere?

Yes, of course. One option comes via the Fouque family in Provence, who've been making Santons for four generations. They open up their workshop in Provence and will even give you a guided tour in English. 

And lastly... what if I want more?

Then check out the annual Santon Fair in Marseille, which has been going on since 1803. It's called the Foire aux Santons, and runs until December 31st this year. 

Why not take a walking tour of the fair via the YouTube video below? Enjoy (and Merry Christmas).