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May is an important month across the region of Basilicata, in the same way that agriculture is an important part of its economy. In May, Basilicata towns celebrate a marriage. It is the Marriage of the Trees - a ritual festival held to ensure the fertility of the soil and reap a good harvest.
The festival stems from paganism but is symbolic of essential agricultural practice. A larger tree is wedded to a smaller one. The male tree, "maggio", or May, and usually an oak, is chopped down and carried with his bride, often a holly bush, to the village square where they are married amidst fanfare and celebration.
The marriage is said to have a regenerative effect on the tree and indeed, many seeded fruits are propagated through the "marriage" of fruitful trees, through grafting or root striking.
The town of Accettura in particular is known for its May marriage festival and the provincial towns of Castelsaraceno, Garaguso and Oppido Lucano also celebrate the love of the trees and hope for a beneficial year.
Perhaps for this ongoing legacy, the natural rhythms of the seasons and time, and the very corporal connection with food production, the Slow Food movement has a particularly strong following in this southern region of Basilicata.
The region's desire to protect and preserve its way of life and naturalistic heritage has also led to the creation of the Parco del Pollino in 1989 and the Parco del Val d'Agri in 1998. Both are excellent excursions into the heart of this slow food paradise.
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