Florence Lantern Festival
September 7 · Level 5 · #1310 of 2238
Florence's lantern festival, the Festa della Rificolona, fills the evening streets with glowing paper creations. It is linked to the eve of the Nativity of Mary and the tradition of country people coming into the city for worship and a market.
How it is celebrated: children and adults carry colourful lanterns on long sticks, join processions and sing traditional songs. Handmade designs turn the walk into a moving display of illuminated crafts.
The decorative lights have a practical ancestor: lanterns helped travellers find their way to Florence before daylight.