At dusk, from 5 p.m. onwards, the countryside of San Matteo della Decima (a hamlet of San Giovanni in Persiceto) is lit up by the traditional “Roghi delle Befane” (Bonfires of the Befane): large straw effigies, about ten meters high, representing “La Vècia” (Old Woman), burn in various parts of the village, accompanied by the cries of the crowd “A brùsa la Vècia” (Burn the Old Woman)!
Linked to the most authentic rural tradition, the event is made possible by groups of private individuals who provide the land and, in some cases, even a small refreshment area offering mulled wine, bread, or crescente with salami, ciccioli, and mortadella.
The tradition also lives on in the ancient custom of children going from house to house, dressed as “fcén” (old people), offering gifts and reciting “zirudelle,” rhyming nursery rhymes in dialect, in exchange for a small culinary reward.
