In Calabria, every town and village has its own festival. These are usually linked to saints and their name day. On each feast day, the town is decorated, there are food stalls and often fireworks.

Then there are the so-called Sagre, which sometimes last several days. These are also often religiously inspired or a culinary product is celebrated. In the area around Tropea, for example, white beans are celebrated in the small village of Caria, red onions in Tropea itself, the spicy sausage ‘Nduja in Spilinga and wine in Brattirò. Of course there are these festivals all over Calabria!

There are too many to list here.

In Tropea, I particularly like the folk festival I tri da Cruci, which takes place at the beginning of May and the bank holidays on 15 August throughout Italy – Ferragosto. Many coastal towns in Calabria organise a procession of boats on the sea with the statue of the Virgin Mary. The Catholic faith celebrates her Assumption into heaven – we know this as the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

The Varia procession in Palmi is particularly noteworthy. In 2013, the Varia di Palmi was included by UNESCO in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, including culture, art, religion, food and wine. The hair relic of Mary is kept in a shrine in the Co-Cathedral of St Nicholas.

The Varia di Palmi is not only a religious, but also a cultural and artistic event that fills the entire city. The festivities begin on the last Sunday in August and attract numerous believers and onlookers from the region and beyond. The streets of Palmi are decorated and illuminated and the atmosphere is full of anticipation and excitement.

The centrepiece of the Varia di Palmi is undoubtedly the impressive float, which is the main attraction of the parade. This float, called “Varia”, is a true masterpiece of craftsmanship. It consists of a portable construction carried by the “mbuttaturi”, the strong men of the town. The cart is decorated with elaborate ornaments, flowers and symbols of the Virgin Mary. The “Animella”, a young girl who symbolises the Virgin Mary, is enthroned at the highest point of the float. She is surrounded by a cloud and looks out over the crowd.