May Day feasts in Sardinia: Cagliari and Lula

The traditions of Sardinia are ancient, very ancient. Such as two of the most important feasts of May Day in Sardinia: Sant’Efisio in Cagliari and San Francesco in Lula.

Sant’Efisio feast

It is one of the most awaited religious feast by inhabitants of Cagliari. Its roots are in the distant past, when Sardinia and Cagliari in particular were hit by plague. Citizens and institutions of Cagliari made a vow to Sant’Efisio: if saint had defeated plague, city would have dedicated a procession in his honor every May Day.

So it was. The feast of Saint Efisio is repeated every year since 1657, always following the same ritual. The procession starts on May 1th from Cagliari, carrying the statue of the saint to Nora (where Efisio was martyred) and goes back to Cagliari after four days exactly. Groups from all over Sardinia, with traditional costumes, follow the procession.

San Francesco in Lula

In Lula, in the province of Nuoro. It’s one of the most typical rural feast of Sardinia, and it takes place in the shrine dedicated to San Francesco (St. Francis). Su filindeu (soup cooked in mutton broth with cheese) and su zurrette (black pudding) are offered to the believers who attended the Novena.

In addition to this, there are several rituals during the feast, such as sa bertula, sa pesada and s’arbore (a big outdoor dining with the symbolic participation of the statue of the saint).

These are the two most important May Day feasts in Sardinia. But certainly not the only ones: every country and every city has its own traditions and its way to celebrate this day.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/80881416@N00