Christmas in Languedoc

We're at the in-laws in the Gard, and this morning I helped my mil prepare 'les 13 desserts de Provence'. Thirteen desserts might seem excessive, but it's not 13 different cakes or pies.

Here are most of the 13 desserts: walnuts, dates, hazelnuts, dried figs, calisson, nougat from Montelimar, and unofficial raisins

This is fougasse d'Aigues-Mortes, the only real 'cake' of the 13 desserts. Fougasse comes in two versions: savory, with little pieces of bacon in the dough and sometimes onions, in a lattice form and very flaky; and sweet from Aigues-Mortes, which is more like pain de mie with fleur d'oranger and sugar on top. Searching the internet shows that some versions of the sweet fougasse are also in a slight lattice form, but in Aigues-Mortes I've only ever seen plain round ones.

Close up of some of the 13 desserts. Technically almonds and raisins aren't on the list, but since walnuts, dates, and figs are it's not crazy to add other nuts or dried fruit.

My mil wanted two kinds of nougat, so there are the white pieces from Montelimar, and then this dark nougat. I think it's dark because it's made with honey.
Close up of the almonds in the nougat. Since this was in a bar, my father-in-law cut it up in smaller pieces (and tasted a few too to make sure it was okay).

Not pictured are the fresh fruits which are also part of the 13 desserts: grapes, apples, pears.

My mil explained that the 13 desserts are supposed to represent the 12 apostles and Christ, and the internet says the nuts are supposed to be the Augustains, Franciscans, Carmes, and Dominicans. A lot of the grocery stores in the south sell round wicker platters with 13 compartments filled with the desserts. In the pre-packaged platters the dates often have almond paste inside.

Hope everyone is having a merry weekend, wherever you are and however you're celebrating!