Pan and Vin, the Venetian tradition returns with the Epiphany
Italy is a country rich in popular traditions, from North to South throughout the year there are many re-enactments of the past, such as the tradition of Pan and Vin in Veneto, each of which has a precise meaning and is still very important for the inhabitants of the place.
Of course the Christmas holidays are one of the periods in which these traditions are most felt, starting from the preparation of real live nativity scenes or made with sand and other materials, until we reach the great bonfires of the beginning of the year that recall in various regions the most ancient peasant customs.
Especially in the Venetian countryside, even today in the days before the Epiphany large fire pyres are prepared that represent real propitiatory bonfires for a brighter future.
Tradition of Pane Vin in Veneto: the bonfire and its ancient origins
Listening to the stories of grandparents is always very exciting, because through them you immerse yourself in a rural reality where survival was mostly determined by the harvest. To ensure that it was good, they worked in many different ways and through real rituals in which the peasants believed a lot.
A tradition of north-eastern Italy, for example, consists in setting fire to large piles of wood and leaves on the eve of the Epiphany and depending on the area it assumes different names.
In the provinces of Treviso, Pordenone and Venice is very much felt that of Pan and Vin (bread and wine), a name that is given to the bonfire as a wish for a year of abundance.
It seems that its origins date back to the pre-Christian era and derive from so-called rites of purification, as well as propitiators. They speak of the Celtic people who used to light great fires to ingratiate themselves with their deity and burning a puppet representing the past.
This is a ritual that has been handed down over time and continues to unfold right on the eve of the Epiphany, believing the fire that burns symbol of hope and strength to leave the past behind.
Tradition of Pan and Vin in Veneto and the wish for a prosperous year indicated by the direction of smoke
During the course of the tradition of Pan and Vin in Veneto, as it happened so many years ago, the direction of the smoke and the sparks caused by the wood burning is very important.
According to the stories of the peasants, this element is an omen for the future. Not surprisingly, even today we remember an old rhyme that reads: “ If the smoke and the sparks go towards the north or the east, then the harvest will not be good, but if the direction is towards the west or south the bags will certainly be full“.
During this festival, moreover, the inhabitants drink and eat the products of the area, such as mulled wine and typical peasant sweets. Today it is still celebrated with ardour, as it has become an opportunity to meet all together around the fire and share joys and concerns just as the farmers used to do.
How the bonfire is prepared according to the tradition of Pan and Vin in Veneto
According to the ancient tradition of Pan and Vin in Veneto, more commonly called panevin, the large pile that will be lit the day before the Epiphany is prepared with brushwood, dried branches, wood and everything that could have been burnt since the past. It reaches up to 10 meters in height and with a base of about 4 meters in diameter.
Often on its summit is placed a puppet that represents an old, author of all the misfortunes and ailments that during the past year have occurred. Very significant the fact that you want to drive away through this huge bonfire, how ugly and unpleasant it happened and never like these two years just passed the need to send away all the negativities is felt by the Venetians as by the rest of the world.
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