Thread by @DrWatson_writer

**🔥Sant'Antoni 'e su FOGU – sa prima essìa🔥**

Thread about Saint Anthony's festival, beginning of the Carnival traditions in Sardinia.

📸 Boe of Ottana

Saint Anthony the Abbot was born in Egypt and the appellative of "de su fogu" (of the fire) differentiates him from Saint Anthony from Padova. This "nickname" derives from the ritual of lighting up bonfires in his honour, on January 17th.

In Sardinia, on that day, wood is-

-gathered in the squares of the town and set on fire. People who expressed vows the previous year can bring larger pieces of wood. The bonfire is usually fed with cork. Smaller bonfires can be used to jump over them. The soot is used to paint faces black (sign of fertility-

-or rebirth linked to Carnival rites) and some people can take away some embers.

The festival is a religious one, therefore there will be priests and a Procession with the statue of the Saint. At the same time, this date marks the first exit (sa prima essìa) of Carnival masks.

This happens both in Mamoiada (with the Mamuthones and Issohadores) and Ottana (with Boes, Merdules and Filonzana). Whoever thinks the Church suppressed local, ancient rituals has definitely never been in Sardinia. The first exit of the masks is as sacred as the priest's blessing

On the night between the 16th and 17th of January, the masks of Ottana and Mamoiada make their first appearance of the year. Even if the rituals and the background meaning of the masks is slightly different, the ritual is very similar. The masks will make several rounds-

-around the fire, each following their own rite. The Mamuthones will be led in dance by the Issohadores, while the Boes will try to escape the Merdules. Sa Filonzana will go around foreseeing people's death.

The prima essìa is done by other Sardinian masks in other towns too.

Here is a short video of the prima essìa of Mamuthones and Issohadores in Mamoiada:

And here are the Boes, Merdules and Filonzana in Ottana: