The Persephoni festival of Bova, an archaic rite that in the town of Greek Calabria has been going on for centuries and is renewed every year on the occasion of the Palm Sunday. Le Persephoni, also called puppets, have their roots in Greek myth and the Eleusinian Mysteries, religious rites that were celebrated every year in the sanctuary of Demeter in the ancient Greek city of Eleusis. These customs then spread to the Magna Graecia colonies and then to Bova. The rite, unique in the entireGreek Aspromonte, It is passed down with great devotion and passion. The puppets are anthropomorphic figures that therefore take on a strictly religious and highly spiritual meaning.
The Persephons
They are unique female figures with intertwined olive leaves, flowers, early fruits, and colorful ribbons. They evoke prehistoric rites linked to Mother Earth, the transition from winter to spring, the cycle of life, and the goddesses of agriculture. Demeter and Persephone. With the advent of Christianity, the pagan rite was not abandoned, but was integrated into Palm Sunday. Currently, the puppets are made to celebrate the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem. In the weeks leading up to Palm Sunday, several local families gather together and begin crafting the puppets. Workshops are held for young people, children, schoolchildren, and anyone who wants to try their hand at weaving these highly original figures, reminiscent of classical myth and the Christian faith.
(Photo from the Bova Municipality Facebook page)
