Spring represents rebirth, and in many towns it is celebrated with festivals dedicated to the new season and the hope for prosperity and a good summer harvest. Among the many spring traditions, four towns in Molise-Fossalto, Lucito, Acquaviva Collecroce and Colle d’Anchise-offer a unique celebration: a human figure, covered entirely in flowers and plants thanks to a metal structure, walks the streets in honor of nature being reborn.
Lucito celebrates Majje Dde Le Defenze, with an afternoon parade through the streets of the town that begins around 2 p.m. and is distinguished by conviviality. In every widening or square where the figure stops, accompanied by musicians and singers, in fact, residents set up tables laden with typical products, making the festival an occasion for gathering and sharing.
On the morning of the feast day, the town’s young people gather in the Difensa countryside near the Biferno River to gather flowers, plants and tree materials for the construction of the traditional May haystack.
The ritual next involves the construction of a haystack woven with rushes and decorated with fresh herbs, flowers, almonds and cherries, topped with a clump of gorse. Inside, a man swings around in a kind of dance, while three or four people surround him playing castanets, tambourines and bagpipes and singing traditional songs.
These festivals not only keep the ancient folk beliefs alive, but also provide an opportunity to strengthen the cultural identity of local communities, involving residents and visitors in an atmospheric and colorful experience.