Fire rituals, Molise's Christmas traditions

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Christmas and events that make fire the protagonist

Winter, the dark, the cold. These few elements are enough to feel like standing by the fireplace with a nice fire burning. If we then add theChristmas atmosphere, the picture is complete and just the thought is enough to feel the warmth and crackling of this element. At this time, however, fire takes on numerous meanings and becomes so important that numerous fire rituals take place in different municipalities of the region.

Fire heats, serves for cooking, lights. But it also serves as a defense against animals in case one is outdoors. All this helps to understand why it is so important, not only in winter, especially in the customs of the past and in peasant and pastoral cultures. To have fire, however, wood is indispensable. It can be used of any kind, but this is the element that, as it burns, allows the fire to live on.

There are several municipalities in Molise that carry out fire rituals during the Christmas season. The first, most important and even largest in the world is the ‘Ndocciata of Agnone (pictured). The ‘ndocce are flashlights made of fir wood supplemented with broom branches to burn better and give the characteristic crackling sound. These represent the flashlights used by shepherds in the past when, on the night of Dec. 24, they traveled from the countryside to the village to attend midnight mass. And as mentioned in the opening, they needed to light their way, keep warm and defend themselves from animals.

In Agnone, the event has reached such a size that it has become the largest in the world. For that reason, an additional date has been added to bring it to life for tourists as well. In addition to Christmas Eve, in fact, it is also held on the second Saturday of December. The ‘ndocce, from the smallest to the largest, are carried by children and adults in increasing numbers with the last one usually consisting of 22 or 24 ‘ndocce joined together.

Other fire rituals

As mentioned, there are several municipalities in Molise that carry out fire rituals, all with more or less the same methods and similar ‘ndocce. While in some towns wood from trees is used, in others these are made with reeds tied together. The most important rites, all on Christmas Eve, are:

• the ‘ndocce of Civitanova del Sannio, Pietrabbondante, Bagnoli del Trigno and Belmonte del Sannio;
• the farchie of Salcito, Roccavivara and Montefalcone nel Sannio;
• the Oratino Fault.

Of these, some are similar realizations to those in Agnone, while others are sort of columns, set up to which fire is set.
The largest is definitely the Oratino Fault (photo below). This is made of bundles of reeds woven together until they reach a length of 13 meters by a diameter of one and carried on the shoulder from the entrance of the village to the bell tower of the church located in the heart of the village. Here it is raised and set on fire with the fire burning all night long.