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From the month of May, the shepherds and their flocks begin the climb towards the summer pastures, and their promises of green grass. Transhumance is an ancestral tradition, celebrated in particular in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, in Bouches-du-Rhône. The opportunity to wear traditional outfits and bring Provençal customs to life.
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These are the stars of the day in Saint-Martin-de-Crau (Bouches-du-Rhône): hundreds of sheep parade through the streets to celebrate an ancestral tradition: transhumance, the departure of shepherds and their flocks to the mountain pastures. In the region, sheep breeding has been practiced since Antiquity. A wealth that shepherdesses are proud to show off by parading every year. “To show that it still exists, and that we have beautiful things in Provence.”said one of them.
The spring festival in the Crau plain is also an opportunity for residents to highlight their heritage. With young dancers in particular, adorned in their most beautiful Provençal costumes. Or, with a parade of vintage tractors, a dive into the past that always makes you dream. “It’s our heritage, our tradition.” comments a participant. “It reminds us a little of the old days, all those tractors.”observes another. “The folk dances were magnificent.” rejoices a third.
Before joining the procession, you must prepare yourself. In the early morning, the France Télévisions team has a meeting with Cécile Vasquez, folk dance teacher. His mission? Check and adjust the young dancers’ costumes. “I’ll rectify the headbands, and then I’ll put the cornets back on them.”she shows. The retiree is an Arlesienne headdress specialist. A ribbon that women wore to go to work in the fields. A two-century-old tradition. “I fell crazy like Obélix when I was little”she slips.
She now passes on her passion to all the children in the village. “We represent a Provençal culture. And that makes me proud.” confides a young girl. In their eyes, impatience can be seen: the time for the parade is approaching. And it’s not just the young dancers who are stamping their feet. Magalie Lemercier, shepherdess in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, is preparing to parade her flock: 1,200 ewes, rams and lambs. Proudly walking with her animals in front of the whole town is a way for Magali to pay homage to her ancestors, and especially to her father. “My father is the one who passed on his passion to me. So, every time, I have a thought for him”, she assures.
Once the parade is over, the celebration continues in song with a ball, where the inhabitants meet to dance. The evening is nicknamed the shepherds’ vigil. “Before, transhumance was done on foot. Before departure, we gathered all these shepherds together, we made the departure meal.” explains Magalie Lemercier. Being together for an evening, before leaving for several months in the mountain pastures: the opportunity for the shepherds to bring to life or rediscover the Provençal soul.
