Once again this year, the San Lorenzo bonfires, locally known as "li flama de San Lorenz," will take place. This is one of the historical traditions of the small village of Oga, which holds special significance for the local community.
The typical nighttime bonfires (especially the large one placed on the natural balcony of Tadé at 1900 meters altitude) are lit in various points of the village and on the slopes of Mount San Colombano. For time immemorial, the village residents have been gathering significant piles of wood, which are then burned all at once, creating a grand and fascinating spectacle.
In the local tradition, it seems to evoke the martyrdom of San Lorenzo, the patron saint of the village, but it may also recall the pagan rituals associated with the conclusion of the harvest.
Every year, the youth who previously helped prepare the bonfires separate from the adults and engage in building and lighting the bonfires placed at higher altitudes, symbolizing their transition to adulthood. This detachment is part of the local tradition, as is the passing of the task of preparing the bonfires to the younger children and teenagers of the village, keeping alive a beautiful and evocative tradition linked to ancient pagan rituals.
