The Oratino Fault

Every year during Christmas Eve in Oratino (one of Italy's Most Beautiful Villages) the Fault, a flashlight about 12 meters long, with a diameter of more than a meter and weighing 25-30 quintals, is lit. This is an ancient tradition rich in symbolism, linked to various ancestral cults, such as that of fire, the purifying element of human souls from the sins committed, but also the solar cult of Celtic origin, linked to the winter solstice and the propitiatory rite of the abundance of the harvest of the year about to begin. In addition, the fault alludes to an important tool for the Molise shepherd and farmer, the flashlight that guided them in the night hours illuminating their path home or finding shelter in the harsh temperatures of the winter months. The Oratino Fault involves a long preparation involving the entire community. It is raised next to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta and left to burn throughout the night of the Vigilia. The next morning what is left of it is collected and stored for propitiatory purposes.