Giubiana

The Giubiana is a traditional festivity very popular in Lombardy, especially Brianza, and in Piedmont. On the occasion of the last Thursday in January, bonfires are lit, in which the Giubiana (a puppet of an old witch) burns.

The name

The name of this witch, and of the festival, changes according to the different languages spoken in these regions:
*Giubiana in northern Brianza
*Gibiana in southern Brianza
*Giöbia/Gioeubia in the province of Varese
*Giobbia in Piedmont

This name come from Jupiter, and here's why the festivity is on Thursday (in Anglo-Saxon tradition the day of Thor, but in the Latin tradition the day of Jupiter); that is also because in Thursday night (or Saturday night) witches assembled for Sabbath.

The festivity

In the days before festivity the people collect all that's good to burn (wood, hay, paper etc.), making a big pile. After a procession along the streets of the village, the Giubiana is token on the pile to burn. The rite is symbolic and propitiatory: burning the Giubiana, you burn the negativity of the winter, auspicating a good year, if the bonfire has a good flame.

In some zones of eastern Brianza, with the Giubiana there is also a masculine character, the Ginée, her husband, personification of January.

In Canzo, the celebration is particularly well-constructed, because there is a trial in local language with verdict (that never changes!) of the Regiùu (old respected heads of family of the village); other symbolic and traditional characters are seen during the procession along historic centre, for example Anguana (a Celtic water fairy), the Òmm selvadech, the Bear and the Hunter, the Executioner, the Candelabrum-bearers, the Bun e Gramm (good boys and bad boys, that are pro and contra the burning), the Lawyer of the Lost Cases (from Milan forum), the soothsayer, the Scarenna men, the Woman of the Street, the historical Firemen, the Shepherd, the Woodsman, the Carriage of the Peasants, the Sledge, and others. The "Cumpagnia di Nost" organizes the festivity, in which the town is adorned with black and red hangings (for mourning and bonfire); the symbol of the festivity is the red leg of the Giubiana; also the music of the drums and of the baghèt (lombard bagpipe) is mournful, but after burning it becomes cheerful because the evil has been eliminated; traditional costumes are worn. The atmosphere is sacral and joyful, thanks to the Celtic and Christian symbolism.

History

Some people think that Giubiana tradition comes from Inquisition. Actually, the tradition is of Celtic origin (druids burned puppets as propitiatory rite for war and agriculture), and only after got mixed up with Christian rituality.