The Magic Fires of Romagna
- In collaboration with www.paesaggiritrovati.it online newspaper of culture of the territory
Burn the dry branches and greet the arrival of spring—and this, in a few words, is the true meaning of one of the oldest traditions in Romagna, where still today, for more than 2,000 years, the last three days of February and the first three days of March is the event of the magic fires, better known as "Lòm a Merz" (the lights of March).
These true proprietary rites of the peasants from long ago, as well as those from the present-day, invoke a favorable year for the harvesting of the fields and banish the cold and the harshness of winter. According to the peasantry tradition, carried out in these lands until the 1930s, loosing its celebratory characteristics after the war, the aim was to encourage the arrival of the beautiful season, while burning the remaining trimmings to ward off bad luck. During this occasion, people would gather together in farmyards, singing songs and dancing around the "fugarèn" (fire), eating, drinking and, most importantly, having fun.
This year, thanks to the Associazione "Il Lavoro dei Contadini" (The "Farmers' Work" Association), the both magic and convivial event has come to life in the courtyards of the rural houses and farms in various areas—the provinces of Ravenna, Faenza, Brisighella, Riolo Terme, Casola Valsenio, Lugo, Russi, Alfonsine and Bagnacavallo, Modigliana in the province of Forlì-Cesena, and, lastly, Argenta in the Ferrara province—many grand festivals of fantasy and memory that rediscover this old cultural event surrounding grand, bright bonfires. In fact, this time, several were also the initiatives of the Romagna tradition. Dances, performances, exhibits of the tools of the rural culture and the "vanishing" crafts, along with master artisans, musicians and storytellers, help to reintroduce the customs of an entire region.
In this region historically devoted to agriculture, outdoor activity that needs to be protected from adverse weather is done so thanks the to beneficial effect of fire, and with these rites, today people are still trying to pass along customs that are disappearing to future generations. Special attention is given to the ancient art of weaving, to the old stories told in local dialect and to good drinking and eating, which in this place, is the reason to live. The gastronomic symbol of the magic fires of Romagna for years has been the "Wedding Cake", a typical dessert made from the "poor" ingredients of the past, such as milk, eggs and flour, sort of like a marriage to the past.
These true proprietary rites of the peasants from long ago, as well as those from the present-day, invoke a favorable year for the harvesting of the fields and banish the cold and the harshness of winter. According to the peasantry tradition, carried out in these lands until the 1930s, loosing its celebratory characteristics after the war, the aim was to encourage the arrival of the beautiful season, while burning the remaining trimmings to ward off bad luck. During this occasion, people would gather together in farmyards, singing songs and dancing around the "fugarèn" (fire), eating, drinking and, most importantly, having fun.
This year, thanks to the Associazione "Il Lavoro dei Contadini" (The "Farmers' Work" Association), the both magic and convivial event has come to life in the courtyards of the rural houses and farms in various areas—the provinces of Ravenna, Faenza, Brisighella, Riolo Terme, Casola Valsenio, Lugo, Russi, Alfonsine and Bagnacavallo, Modigliana in the province of Forlì-Cesena, and, lastly, Argenta in the Ferrara province—many grand festivals of fantasy and memory that rediscover this old cultural event surrounding grand, bright bonfires. In fact, this time, several were also the initiatives of the Romagna tradition. Dances, performances, exhibits of the tools of the rural culture and the "vanishing" crafts, along with master artisans, musicians and storytellers, help to reintroduce the customs of an entire region.
In this region historically devoted to agriculture, outdoor activity that needs to be protected from adverse weather is done so thanks the to beneficial effect of fire, and with these rites, today people are still trying to pass along customs that are disappearing to future generations. Special attention is given to the ancient art of weaving, to the old stories told in local dialect and to good drinking and eating, which in this place, is the reason to live. The gastronomic symbol of the magic fires of Romagna for years has been the "Wedding Cake", a typical dessert made from the "poor" ingredients of the past, such as milk, eggs and flour, sort of like a marriage to the past.
