Il Maggio – The Marraige of the Trees

Perhaps the oldest festival in Italy takes place in Accettura, in the region of Basilicata. It is so old it predates the classical era by at least a thousand years.

Its origins go back to the dawn of human consciousness and derive from the belief that trees are sentient beings and are able to come together in the act of love. This coupling guarantees a fruitful harvest at the end of the growing season. And so it is with this annual festival.

The male is called the ‘maggio’, a tall oak selected and chopped down from the nearby woods. The female is the ‘cima’ or top of a holly tree cut in such a way as to leave an abundance of branches. A bush, if we may say so.

The two are carried about the town with lively enthusiasm until they are ceremoniously united.