The Immaculate Conception (8 December), the Translation of the Madonna of Loreto (10 December) and Santa Lucia (13 December)

The night before the anniversary of the Immaculate Conception, on December 8, the peasants prepared fochərə, i.e. pyres of wood, straw and scraps, similar to those of Sant'Antonio, which were set on fire out of devotion. It seems that in the countryside there was a competition to see who could organize the most beautiful bonfire. The rite was obviously full of meanings and prayers were combined with the bonfire.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception also marked the beginning of another tradition, which was renewed annually: the killing of the pig. In fact, this animal was a resource for families and the killing took place in winter, since the cold climate favored the conservation of the meat, as there were no modern refrigeration systems.
On 10 December there was the mənuta (the coming), that is, the translation of the House of the Madonna of Loreto was solemnized: at four in the morning the bell ringer rang the bells of the village. Someone was doing the fochəra again. A few days later, on the anniversary of Saint Lucia, December 13, other votive fires were prepared. The Immaculate and Saint Lucia were solemnized in a very similar way, also considering the temporal proximity of the two Christian holidays.