Traditions - Comune di Pollica

Traditions
TRADIZIONI POLLICA
U’ Focaro (the bonfire)
On Christmas Eve the bonfire is lit after Midnight Mass. On the days leading up to Christmas,
big stumps of wood are piled up in open spaces near the churches, where they are to be lit.
Carnevale Cilentano (Carnival in Cilento)
An old-fashioned festival, very different from the modern parades of carnival floats, this is a
“poor” carnival. People dress in secret in improvised costumes and,during the festa in the
village square, they have fun with games and tricks which are only possible because they
cannot easily be recognised.
Domenica delle Palme (Palm Sunday)
Adults colour olive branches silver or gold and take them to the traditional blessing. Children make a
palm of steel wire and coloured tissue paper, and decorate it with chocolates, sweets and sugared
almonds, which they eat when they return home.
Confraternite (Cilentan Confraternities)
There are five confraternities in the administrative district of Pollica: in Pollica, Acciaroli, Cannicchio,
Celso and Galdo. The confraternity of Pollica is the oldest and dates back to 1747. On Good Friday they
visit the sepulchres of historical Cilento, singing old laments such as the “Pianti della Madonna” (The
Weeping of the Madonna). The brothers wear robes with a cord at the waist, and a hood and a stick
to perform the ancient rites of penance of the medieval pilgrims. The cape or mozzetto and the cord
have different colours according to the order of the confraternity.
Comune di Pollica
mercurio comunicazione
ph giuseppe cucco
translation by Susan Haslam