The Valle dei Mocheni valley, 20 km from the town of Trento and close to the Valsugana valley, hosts every year an event rich of ancient traditions: it's the Mocheni Carnival. This year Mardi Gras falls on February 25, and as tradition goes in Palù del Fersina a parade of youths, led by the three main masks, goes from farm to farm to bring prosperity and abundance. The long parade ends with a big bonfire.
The Mocheni Carnival features three main characters: bècio, bècia and the òiartroger (the man that gathers the eggs), who walk along trails to reach the 8 farms of the village and are followed by a group of all the boys of the village who have reached the 18 year of age.
The bècio has a two-pointed goat skin hat, with each point adorned with bells. He wears a long white hemp shirt and a large leather belt, and has a big hump made with hay. The bècia wears a simple hat. Both have their face painted black and hold, the bècio a stick and the bècia a broom. The òiartroger wears a black adorned costume and has a box on his back where the eggs are gathered.
After visiting the 8 farms of the village and the taverns, where the two main characters stage their death and there's the reading of the will, the parade ends at sunset with a bonfire where the hay from the hump of the bècio is burned.
On the last Sunday there is a great celebration in the squares of Fierozzo and Sant'Orsola.
