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THE MONTHS |
  
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| The pageant of the "months", which probably came originally from Campania, was introduced to Cercepiccola at the end of the eighteenth century.
According to tradition, up until the period after the Second World War it was held every ten years, but changes were made in recent years. In fact the last three pageants have been held at intervals of eight years, the most recent in 1994. It is a kind of popular dramatization with thirty-two performers, all male, dressed in various costumes and riding on donkeys and horses. The pageant, which is usually held on the last Sunday of Carnival, features two Pulcinella characters, two ragcollectors, a master of ceremonies, an orchestra conductor, eight orchestra players,a father, a grandfather, four men acting as the season and twelve men acting as the months. All ride richly adorned horses, with the exception of the "month of May", the "orchestra players" and the "ragcollectors" who ride donkeys. The waistcoat worn only by some of the months is trimmed with gold; the decorations may weigh from a minimum of one kilo to a maximum of two kilos for each character. The first to appear are the two Pulcinella characters who go through the streets of the town at daybreak to announce the celebration, then move on into the outlying districts and the nearby villages. The performance usually starts about ten in the morning and continues till sunset, without even a break for lunch; the spectators of course offer the actors drinks and pancakes.
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