Ball, cremation of the Caramentran, parade in the streets of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence... March 27th and 28th 2020 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence will live through its Carnival.
It all starts on Friday 27th March from 8pm with the Charivari in the streets of Saint Rémy.
Departure from the town hall square.
The spirits wake the living and announce the Carnival. Dressed in white, they walk through the streets and wake up the population by singing their serenade.
Then on Saturday March 28th it is the parade of the carnival with the program:
- From 2pm to 4pm: make-up workshop, Place de la mairie.
- 4pm: start of the parade in the streets of Saint-Rémy, in front of the gate of the courtyard of the Ecole de la République.
- 6pm: return to Place Jules Pellissier where the cremation of the Caramentran will take place. Opening of the refreshment bar and celebration to the sound of galoubets, tambourines and various animations.
- From 7.30 pm: free evening in the Jean Macé room with free soup, pissagne de la chauche-vieille and ball.
Small explanations...
The Carnival celebrates in the street the spring equinox under the guidance of the "Old Left", a fantastic character closely associated with nature, who lives all year round in the sewers of the city.
At the end of each winter, she comes out of her hole to announce the arrival of spring, leads the great "Chauchade", a parade led by the "Chauche vieille", orders her judgment in the public square and burns the horrible monster Caramentran, bearer of all evils.
To celebrate the monster's end, the carnivalers gather around a soup and dance.
The "Caramentran" is the traditional character of the Provençal Carnival. He is a kind of grotesque scarecrow dressed in old rags and outdated clothes, hence the expression: "Dressed like a caramentran" which means to be dressed ridiculously.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
