We invite you to an extraordinary wedding! Lucanian Tree Rituals: the May of Accettura

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Have you ever attended a tree wedding? In Basilicata you can, you are all invited!

The marriage of the two trees in Accettura, in the Lucanian Dolomites, is celebrated every year during the Pentecost period. The festival is a pagan rite that overlaps with the liturgical celebration dedicated to San Giuliano, the patron saint of Accettura. As also narrated on the dedicated Maggio website (https://www.ilmaggiodiaccettura.it/) today, the festival “is the symbol of the cultural identity of the people of Accettura in the town and those scattered throughout Italy and the world.” Living this unique experience is therefore a reunion with our ancestors and with our land

The marriage takes place between an Oak tree, the May ( U’ Masc’), chosen on the first Sunday after Easter in the Montepiano forest, representing the groom, and a holly plant, called the Peak (U’ fri(u)sc), chosen the following Sunday in the Gallipoli-Cognato forest, representing the bride.

The transportation of the trees from the forest to the village takes an entire day and is done with a pair of majestic oxen.

During the stops, everything turns into a celebration: large picnics (as we would say today), communal tables in the woods with sausages, cheeses, cookies, and of course, good wine. Lots of music from ancient musical instruments and traditional songs involve everyone, locals and tourists, in a beautiful moment of conviviality and exchange of memories and experiences. People dance, share stories, eat, and celebrate, just like you do in your grandparents’ house on holidays, right?

The day dedicated to San Giuliano begins with a procession of the faithful who walk through the streets of the village to the center of the town where the “Maggio,” the two united trees, is slowly raised.

A marvelous moment to witness the care and attention passed down through the history of the community, as well as a difficult and delicate operation skillfully conducted by the elderly guardians of the ancient technique.

More emotions and spectacle to experience with bated breath when, once the Maggio is raised nearly forty meters high, brave young people engage in the climb to conclude the wonderful experience of the most beautiful marriage ever! If you’re afraid, don’t close your eyes, breathe deeply, and feel the scent of a land that welcomes you with a unique heartbeat.

An event of community involvement that engages women and men of all ages and represents the identity and authenticity of the Basilicata region and countless May climbers from Accettura around the world who have shared their emotions!

If you’re missing a piece of that story from your grandfather, your father, or your emigrated family, come and discover it, and everything comes together, everything fits together, just like the two trees of Accettura.