The lighting of the fires of Sant'Antonio marks the beginning of Carnival in Sardinia .
Legend has it that Saint Anthony the Abbot went to hell to steal fire from the devil, with the intention of warming the world.
In many Sardinian towns, in the last few days , wood and branches have been prepared for the big bonfire , with the involvement of all generations . A community celebration , therefore, with dancing around the fire that also represents a propitiatory rite, to hope for a good harvest while waiting for nature to awaken.
It is one of the most significant moments of the popular traditions of Sardinia , with the first appearance of the masks. A moment in which the whole community comes together and which, in recent years, has become an important vehicle for tourism promotion.
The long live broadcast of Videolina, broadcast today for four hours from 4 pm with external links from Ottana (Marco Lai), Siniscola (Franco Ferrandu), Desulo (Gianfranco Locci) and Orosei (Graziano Canu), was dedicated to the fires of Sant'Antonio .
In the studio, with the co-director of Videolina Simona De Francisci , many experts in popular traditions: the university professor Sebastiano Mannia , the anthropologists Joyce Mattu and Alessandra Guigoni. With them Paolo Piquereddu , former director of the Isre. Also scheduled to speak is Tonio Pillonca , deputy editor of l'Unione Sarda, responsible for Nuoro and Ogliastra.
(Online Union)