Mòcheno Carnival: an ancient tradition in Valsugana

The Mòcheno Carnival is one of the most fascinating and authentic celebrations in Trentino-Alto Adige, which takes place in Palù del Fersina, in the picturesque Valle dei Mòcheni. This celebration, deeply rooted in local traditions, offers visitors a unique cultural experience. Let's discover together the origins, protagonists and meanings of this celebration that reflects the rural identity and folklore of the Enchanted Valley.

The origins and meaning of the Mocheno Carnival

 

The Mòcheno Carnival begins immediately after the Epiphany and culminates on Shrove Tuesday, known as ‘Vòschnto’. This tradition, which has its roots in peasant culture, once represented an important meeting occasion for young people who, with their Kronz, the elegant and elaborate traditional headgear, accompanied the festivities and officially became part of the community. The celebrations include masks and rituals that have spanned the centuries, keeping alive gestures and words that tell the story and identity of the Mòcheno community. But how is carnival celebrated in Trentino? In this valley, the festivities are characterised by an extraordinary combination of folklore and symbolism, where every gesture has a deep meaning linked to nature and the cyclical nature of life.

Immerse yourself in the history and peculiarities of the Mocheni valley!

The masks of Mocheno Carnival: Bètscho, Bètscha e Òiartroger

 

Among the main protagonists of the Mocheno Carnival are the traditional masks, each with a specific role and deep symbolic meaning. 

Der Bètscho e De Bètscha: the old man and the old woman

 

The Bètscho and the Bètscha represent the old man and the old woman respectively, figures that symbolise the wisdom of the past and the cycle of life. Their costumes are distinctive: the old man wears a headdress made of two goat's legs joined at the ends and a white hemp smock, fastened at the waist by a leather belt with a cowbell and the characteristic hay hump, while the old woman completes the picture with a traditional dress, a bonnet on her head and, in her hand, a small broom with which she chases the old man by hitting him on the hump.

Der Òiartroger:the egg harvester

 

The Òiartroger, or egg harvester, but also called teit, godfather, is the third symbolic figure. During carnival time, he visited the farms in the valley to collect eggs, which were donated in exchange for the blessings of the Bètscho and Bètscha.

Shrove Tuesday ritual: tradition and folklore in Trentino

Shrove Tuesday, the highlight of the Mòcheno Carnival, begins with the departure of the three main characters from the highest farmstead in Palai en Bersntol, Palù del Fersina. With great jumps and runs, the three visit all the families, bringing good luck wishes and ‘turt’ (cake). On each threshold, the Bètschi sow sawdust, a symbol of fertility and health.

In return, they receive eggs, which are collected in the Kraks, the basket, carried by the Òiartroger, and are also accompanied by the conscripts, the young people who turn 18 in the course of the year with their elegant Kronz. 

In the afternoon, the ritual continues with the collection of cakes prepared by the village girls, shared among the participants. As part of the tradition, the cake pans, once emptied, are thrown into the air as a sign of good luck.

A highlight of Shrove Tuesday is the ‘simulated death’ of the old men, accompanied by the reading of the wills, in which all the young men of the village are named. They are themselves the authors of the wills, in which they good-naturedly mock the activities or property of those named. A game of cross-references and allusions, difficult to understand by those who are not familiar with the local community and its dynamics, which certainly helps to cement the complicity between the young people of the valley.

The blaze of the Vòschn: the end of Carnival and the beginning of spring.

The celebration then ends with the Vòschn, the large bonfire where the old man's hump with the Bètschi wills is burnt, with the whole community then going to a large meadow called Schèrzerbis.

Carnival holidays in Trentino: why choose Valsugana