Colors of Aosta - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Local people follow many interesting traditions. Their habits and attitude to some spheres of life can look quite unusual for tourists. For example, wine is a traditional national drink in Aosta, just like in other Italian cities. Local people are so proud of their wine that they consume virtually no other drinks. Even office workers can easily drink a glass of wine during the lunchtime. For locals, wine is not alcohol but a pleasant addition to food.

When it comes to dealing with business partners, local people also have a number of peculiarities. Local businessmen enjoy talking in a casual atmosphere. Therefore, they prefer to make important business decisions in restaurants or at home of one of their colleagues, not in offices. Naturally, such meetings are always combined with food and wine.

Italians are very noisy and cheerful people, loving holidays and festivities with all their heart. Christmas Market "Marché Vert Noel" in one of the favorite events before Christmas among locals. In the center of Aosta, on Kaveri Square, from December 1 to January 6, there is a traditional Christmas market. There you can taste dishes of local cuisine, wine, buy artisans' products and a variety of festive souvenirs. Every day, guests can fully enjoy the festive atmosphere, as well as choose gifts for family and friends. Here you can purchase candles, handmade soaps, ceramics, souvenirs with wood carvings, various antiques, accessories, and clothes from wool, lace, Christmas toys, traditional delicacies from Valle d'Aosta, pastries, sweets and much more. The flea market is a great place to find antique Christmas tree decorations, paintings and lithographs, coins, dishes, embroidery and other things from the past. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Fiera di Sant'Orso is the event you must visit if come to Aosta on January 30 and 31. This tradition passes from generation to generation for thousands of years. The best works of Valdostan artisans are exhibited on the streets of the city. The event is famous for folk festivals. Every year, about a thousand exhibitors with pride and legitimate satisfaction represent the fruits of their work: crafts made in their spare time, or professional work done in an equally sincere and artisanal manner. During the fair, special features of the identity of the population of Valle d'Aosta are manifested. This is not only a noisy fairway festivities of unprecedented scope but also a celebration of local residents belonging to their culture. The fair is music, folklore and a convenient opportunity to take part in gastronomic tastings of wines and traditional dishes. This is a real national holiday, the highlight of which is Veya - vigil on the night of January 30-31, when the streets are lit up and full of people before dawn.

You will be pleased to find out that there are many interesting celebrations in Aosta. June 24 is the season opening day. When the sun goes down, local people make big fires on fields and high hills. Many of them believe that fire and smoke have special “healing” properties on this day. Local people throw different items they don’t need into fires and believe that the smoke protects from evil spirits. This is a very old celebration. In the past, it was famous under the name “San Giovanni Night”, and the holiday was dedicated to one of the patrons of Aosta.

Veia celebrations have also become an old good tradition of local people. These celebrations can be held for a number of reasons. Several families meet each other, enjoy food, talk, and discuss the latest news. While adults share the latest gossips, children play in a separate room and enjoy pastries. Birthdays, wedding anniversary, or an ordinary weekend – local people like to meet their neighbors and socialize.

If you appreciate classical music, then this festival - Aosta Classica, you will like. It runs from July to August. This large-scale event has been held since 1996 and represents different styles of music: from the classical, created from the XVIII to the end of the XX century, as well as folk, ethnic music, and ending with jazz and indy songs.

The end of the summer season is the time for one more important celebration – Désarpa. In rural areas, the cattle is moved from valleys back to the stable during this period. Naturally, there are many interesting traditions associated with such an important event. Every year, the “battle of queens” is held in Aosta. During this event, cows of different breeds compete for the honorable title. It is important to mention that the “battles” are not cruel and no blood is spilled during them. Local farmers take care of their cows, so during the battle animals try to win with their endurance rather than strength.

Fans of the medieval period simply cannot miss the colorful carnival that takes place in Verres, a town in the Aosta Valley. This is the time when local people dress in costumes of medieval nobles and participate in different performances, parades, balls, and celebrations. It feels like the whole town participates in the colorful event. Naturally, the old Castle is the epicenter of festive activities. The climax of the Carnival takes place on the main town square. Actors dressed in magnificent costumes declare the “Proclamation of the Citizentry” in ancient Italian.

This is not the only carnival that people in the Aosta Valley celebrate. Nearly every town in the region has its own celebration, and one of the biggest carnivals is held in May. Local people dress in traditional costumes of Napoleon army in order to recall May 1800, when Napoleon soldiers appeared in this region. Some participants of the event wear somewhat bizarre outfits. These expensive and very detailed costumes even have a name – landzette. Fully hand-made, the outfits recall the traditional Napoleon uniform but are adorned with beads, small mirrors, and sequins which make them shine and reflect the light. Locals believe that this way they ward off evil spirits. Faces of actors are covered with wooden masks and they carry hair from horse tail in their hands. Local carnivals are mysterious, entertaining, eccentric and very authentic, which make them a must-see event for curious tourists.