Sardinia - Traditions:

Many are the festivals, fairs and processions that take place in Sardinia: more than one thousand! And most of them have very ancient traditions! Let yourself be part of the history of Sardinia: take part to them and get to know the identity of Sardinian people who are so proud of their traditions. It will surely be a fascinating experience. Many of them are famous but we feel to suggest you the Carnival of Mamoiada that takes place in January where people with “Mamuthones” dresses pass by through the streets. They wear dark wooden masks, wear old-style shepherd dress on which from 30 to 40 heavy cowbells hang. The figures want to show the losers who march with lowered head while the "Issocadores" (the winners) dance around them and try to seize the onlookers with ropes. The night will be lighted by the fire of a stack of wood while dancing around it in the god of the fire’s honor. In Sartiglia, near Oristano, a very old two days celebration takes place every year, the last Sunday of Carnival and on Shrove Tuesday. An equestrian competition of Catalan origin where masked horsemen with riding skills try to pierce with their sword the center of a silver star hanging on ribbon. The harvesting of the new year will be foreseen by the quantity of stars pierced. After this, other equestrian competitions take place called Pariglie. The Holy Week is full of events: we suggest you the one in Castelsardo and Alghero. The Holy Monday in Castelsardo there is the "Festa di Lunissanti” (All Saints celebration): a evening religious torch-light procession until S. Maria a Tergu Abbey made of men dressed in white that sing ancient sacred songs of Spanish origins. The Holy Friday in Alghero a long procession with torches goes by through the old Catalan center of the village to represent the crucifixion of the Christ. The procession ends at the church. From 1657 every year on May 1st Cagliari celebrates his Patron, Saint Efisio with a sumptuous religious procession in traditional costumes. The simulacrum of the Saint is heaved onto a cart pulled by oxen then leaves the Stampace district in direction to Pula, a village 30 km far, then comes back in Cagliari on May 4th followed by many faithful, some of them taking part to the procession with bare feet. The celebration dates back to Cagliari’s dwellers who took a vow to their patron for having saved Cagliari from a terrible pestilence. The last Sunday of May but one takes place in Sassari a folkloristic festival called La Cavalcata Sarda, a parade of horsemen in traditional costumes coming from all over Sardinia showing their abilities, performing Sardinian dances, singing traditional music in chorus On July 6 and 7 in the Roman Emperor Costantino’ honor takes place around the Sanctuary of Saunt Antine in Sedilo a traditional frantic horse race called “S’Ardia”. The Emperor became a non-canonized Santu Antine for having won a victory against Massenzio. To respect a vow to our Lay of the Assumption many centuries ago during an pestilence epidemic on August 14th every year in Sassari goes by through the streets nine vowed huge church candles (called “candelieri”) many of them of dozens of pounds weight representing the town districts. The people holding the candles and contemporaneously playing drums and pipes wall down the slope (called “Faradda”) from the highest side of the town until S.Maria of Bethlehem’s Church. They dance two hours dance holding the heavy candles incited by the crowd that follows them. On August the 29th in Nuoro takes place the feast of the Santissimo Redentore whose origin dates back to the beginning of 1900 on the top of Mount Ortobene when the statue of the Redeemer Christ was placed. The procession begins in Nuovo and sees traditional costumes coming from all over Sardinia. The first Saturday of September Cabras celebrates Saint Salvatore organizing a race of the barefooted. Protagonists are young people in white habit carry the statue while running with bare feet to the Sanctuary. The second week of September in Bosa is celebrated Our lady of Ragnos Altos with a procession in the lanes of the historic city center where the faithful prepare small altars adorned with flowers and pieces of cloths in the Madonna’s honor. On Saturday night the whole village celebrates until sunrise, the religious rite end with music and typical local products tasting.

Cagliari - Sant'Efisio:

The Saint Efisio’s festival is the most important event of the traditional Sardinian culture. Takes place every year in May from 1st to the 4th and celebrates the intervention of the Saint for the liberation of Cagliari from pestilence in 1652. The main event is a long procession that starts in Cagliari. More than 5000 people and dozens of carts take part to the festival, followed by the sounds of the “launeddas”, the Sardinian typical music instruments. At the end of the procession , 4 days later, the participants say goodbye to each-other saying an old traditional saw “Atrus annus".

Muravera - Sagra degli agrumi:

During April in Muravera, the festival of the citrus fruits takes place with the now famous parade of folkloristic groups coming from all over Sardinia and of the “Etnotraccas”, carts showing the history of the customs of the past.

Oristano - Sartiglia:

The Sartiglia festival is one of the older and most beautiful events of the whole Sardinia. The rite of the fertility of the earth and the medieval tournament are the main celebrations. This takes place in Oristano the last Sunday of Carnival and the following Tuesday.