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"fuuc acost" :
Halloween was invented at Orsara di Puglia

"Cocce priatorje".

In the countryside of the Subappennine Dauno, the custom of hollowing out pumpkins, carving them like skulls, and lighting them from inside with candles has an ancient history. The old people of the region remember that even their grandparents celebrated "fuuc acost", the Eve of All Saints, decorating the streets of the countryside with pumpkins, which are here called "cocce priatorje" and lit bonfire made from branches of juniper at the crossings and in the piazzas.

Photo of the Halloween show.

Old legends tell of how the dead returned to earth and the spirits, freed from their chains, fought among the palaces and the houses of the people, the eternal battle between good and evil.
“For centuries, we have been celebrating this magical night with pumpkins and bonfires,” they say here in Orsara. “There’s no doubt,” they add, “that immigrants from Orsara imported the custom of carving pumpkins into the United States.”

The crackling of the green juniper branches.

The crackling of the green juniper branches that burn among the high flames, terrify the souls of sinners that restlessly wander the back allies. The incandescent sparks rise into the air, luminous and delicate, and they console the souls in Purgatory, helping them to fly toward heaven. The old legends tell of the meeting on this November night of the world of the dead and the world of the living. The inhabitants of Orsara, custodians of this firm tradition, gather in groups to eat together what they have cooked on the embers of the bonfire. But not the food gets consumed so as to leave at various street corners, trays with sweets and wine so that together with the living, the souls of the dead can refresh themselves and silently wander about among the churches and the palaces. Dressed as witches, skeletons, and ghosts, the children of Orsara, are the real protagonists of this festival, and after supper they gather around the hearth to eat sweets and listen to their grandparents tell scary stories about ghosts, magic places, and strange and inexplicable adventures that they remember for their entire lives.

Pumpkins in the window.