“The Rificolona is a traditional festival held in Florence every year on September 7th, the eve of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. The symbol of the festival is the ‘rificolona‘: colorful paper lanterns hung from long wooden poles.
On the evening of the feast, hundreds of children parade through the streets with these lanterns to Piazza Santissima Annunziata. A typical custom among Florentine youngsters is to try and hit the lanterns with blowguns (cerbottane) to poke holes in them or cause them to catch fire from the candles inside.
The origin of the festival: In the past, farmers from the countryside surrounding Florence would set out at night to reach the city in time for the market and religious celebrations. To light their path in the darkness, they used rudimentary lanterns.
When they arrived in the city, their poor appearance and clumsy lanterns made the young Florentines laugh. The citizens began calling these peasant women ‘fieruculone‘ (a play on ‘fair-goers’ and their physical appearance). Over time, this word evolved into ‘rificolona.’
Even the use of the blowgun comes from the past: young Florentines used to throw fruit peels and stones at the farmers’ lanterns to destroy them and mock them. Today, that old mockery has become a popular game that brings the city’s squares to life.”
