In Monaco, until the end of the last century, Christmas Eve was the occasion when all the members of a family would gather at their parent's homes to perform, as a preliminary act to the evening meal, the rite of the olive branch.

Before sitting down, the youngest of the guests, or the oldest, soaked an olive branch in a glass of old wine. He approached the fireplace where a great fire of pine and laurel branches burned and with his little branch traced the sign of the Cross while pronouncing a few words on the virtues of the olive tree, a source of all kinds of good things.

After this, everybody in turn would wet his lips in the glass of wine serving as an aperitif. Dinner would traditionally consist of an enormous "brandamincium," a Monégasque dish of salt cod pounded with garlic, oil and cream, surrounded by "cardu," cardoon in white sauce; "barba-giuan," literally "Uncle John," stuffed fritters and "fougasses," flat crunchy biscuits sprinkled with sugared aniseed colored red and white, flavored with several drops of rum and orange-flower water. On the table covered with a splendid cloth lay a round loaf of bread "u pan de Natale" (the Christmas loaf) on which four walnuts formed a Cross surrounded by several olive twigs.

The Prince's Palace, Monaco

During Christmas time today in Monaco, one can still find "barba-giuan," "fougasses" and "u pan de Natale" at some of the bakeries in the Principality. In addition, many Monegasques enjoy Midnight Mass at the Cathedral.

For More Information:

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