The great feast of San Giacomo in Ortisei

One of the most heartfelt festivals in Val Gardena, so much so that someone compares it to a national holiday, is the feast of San Giacomo. The church of San Giacomo is very old. Even today a group of 7 people ring the bells by hand, there are 4 of them. The 3 more are used to relieve those who are tired. Of the 4 bells only one is the original one, the other 3 were stolen during the First World War. On the day of the festival, people get up at dawn to set up the festival, where the women of the village, even the oldest, get busy cooking traditional dishes such as beef tripe soup. Another traditional ritual is the delivery of pears, a reminder of the times when the laborers were paid with 3 pears. However, if only one was given, it meant that the engagement was not renewed. The feast of San Giacomo is still very popular today but there are those who complain that it is no longer like it used to be, when it was the classic farmers' market and was therefore an opportunity for the inhabitants to get together and trade.