![]() After the midnight mass, the villagers gather around the focare to exchange greetings and to spend the night in the company, accompanied by folk music. One of the most well-known bonfires is in the town of Bisignano, the fire is lit on Christmas Eve and the youth feed the fire all night with wood that they have accumulated for days leading up until the 24th. Fire symbolizes purification from original sin and the bonfire signifies the burning of all the bad that was in the past. Known as focare or focarine, these big bonfires are lit on Christmas Eve where villagers will socialize, dance and sing until dawn. In more recent times, groups of relatives, friends, acquaintances pass through the streets making music with tambourines and accordion, singing in different dialects to wish wealth, happiness and good health. The strina is usually accompanied by the sound of the ancient bronze tool used for “denting” the salt and guitars, mandolins, accordions and tambourines.įocare: A Christmas Bonfire Credit: Maria Lombardo In the past, the musicians used to go from house to house to bring the “good news” of Christ’s birth, getting paid and thanked with eggs, cheese, olive oil, wine and salami. ![]() ![]() ![]() In the province of Cosenza and still upheld in inland villages, there is the Christmas Eve tradition of the strina.
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