From our special correspondent in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
” Oh ! How’s it going ? ” ” Hey ! My friend ! In front of the caravan of Payou Baptiste, spokesperson for the gypsy community in Alès, there is a procession of kisses, hugs and big smiles, in front of the paella cooking. It has been three years since the gypsies had been deprived of their traditional pilgrimage to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, due to the coronavirus epidemic.
So, a few hours before the procession in the village with Saint Sara, the highlight of this central event in the life of the gypsies, Payou does not hide his joy. “After two years of punishment, we come back to life,” he says. During the Covid, we saw the family or we called them. But we did not see the friends. People come from everywhere: from Bordeaux, from Lille. It’s such a pleasure to see each other again. Sharing is very important to us. There is a gypsy saying that whatever is not shared or given is lost. It was very difficult to accept that the pilgrimage was cancelled. It is at Saintes-Maries that we meet, where we do baptisms, marriage proposals. It’s nice to meet again! »
“It was hard not to be together”
“I languished a lot,” says Paulette. I looked forward to the pilgrimage. I missed it terribly. You see, I’m 56, and I’ve been coming forever. My father always came and my grandfather too. “” It feels good to be between us and be able to enjoy, abounds Priscillia. It’s been hard not being together for two years. »
“We live in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and we come to the pilgrimage every year, explains Amédé. It’s the traditions, and we don’t want that to be lost. “We want to pass this on to our little ones,” agrees Barbara at his side.
“There is even Nikos now”
An enthusiasm also shared by the merchants of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. “Today is a big day for us,” explains Stéphane, an ice cream maker in the village for 31 years. With the cancellation of the pilgrimage, last year and in 2020, we had a loss of turnover of around 20 to 25%. “We are really happy, because there are buyers,” enthuses Véronique, who runs a shop very close to the church. Gypsies like to buy for children, and spoil them. »
“The Saints without the pilgrimage of the gypsies, it’s not the Saints,” says his daughter Sophie. And then it brings television, and it does good publicity for the village. There is even Nikos now! “Passing through Saintes-Maries, a camera in hand, the host of The Voice takes selfies a few meters away.
” It’s party “
“It feels good to find people in the village, rejoices Mélane. It’s an important moment here, and then it’s joyful. There are guitars, dancing ladies. It’s party ! In the streets, a compact crowd is indeed pressing. Women dressed in colorful dresses follow the dance steps to the sound of guitars and men who sing and clap their hands, while others hurry to buy a candle.
“I still thought there would be more people,” breathes a restaurant owner, disappointed. “As there has been no pilgrimage for two years, we expected a massive influx,” says squadron leader Nassima Djebli, who commands the Arles gendarmerie company. We expected 40,000 people, and we mobilized 116 gendarmes. In the end, it is estimated that there are 20,000 people, for an average attendance that varies between 10,000 to 40,000 people. »