Christmas – Solidarity and Inclusion

A Christmas that unites the village

Christmas – Solidarity and Inclusion is the festive event that brings the Borgo Pozzo Casale to life. Located in the small rural hamlet of Carmiano, in the province of Lecce, in the heart of Salento, the festival is promoted by the Performarsi Onlus association. Its mission is clear: to turn the Christmas season into a moment of community, where popular tradition, culture, and solidarity meet among the festively decorated streets and courtyards of the village.

A Salento village dressed for the holidays

For several evenings in December, the narrow streets of Pozzo Casale are filled with lights, scents, and music. The program offers something for the whole family: local exhibitors and artisans, traditional food stands featuring Salento specialties, food and drink stalls, live music, face painting, inflatables, and the magical Santa's House, eagerly awaited by the little ones.

Culture, memory, and entertainment

Alongside the festivities, the event dedicates significant space to the history and culture of the region. The evenings feature an exhibition of antique farming tools, screenings of vintage photographs depicting village life, book presentations, and musical performances, including shows by the "Sinfonia per tutte le stagioni" school and the band Skhisma. It is a blend of past and present that celebrates the identity of the Carmiano community.

Solidarity and inclusion at the core

The hallmark of the festival is its charitable heart. Christmas in Pozzo Casale becomes a true moment of welcome and inclusion: the nativity scene, created with the involvement of refugees and asylum seekers of diverse backgrounds and faiths, stands as a symbol of a community choosing to open its doors to others. This message resonates throughout the entire Christmas calendar of Carmiano and its surrounding hamlets.

Carmiano and Salento

Located just a few kilometers from Lecce, Carmiano is a town in Puglia that preserves the rural and artisanal traditions of Salento. Events like Christmas – Solidarity and Inclusion enhance the village and its hamlets, offering residents and visitors an authentic and warm way to experience the Christmas atmosphere of Salento.