Panevin Grant

The fire that closes the festivities

Between Friuli and eastern Veneto, the evening of Epiphany has only one sound: the crackling of the great bonfire. In Castello di Caneva, the ancient village perched above the town in the province of Pordenone, this rite is called Panevin Grant and attracts dozens of families every January 5th around the pile of wood and branches which, lit at dusk, illuminates the hill.

A tradition with ancient roots

The Epiphany bonfires in Friuli—called pignarûl, foghere, or indeed panevin depending on the area—have their roots in Celtic and pre-Christian rites linked to the cycle of the seasons. Fire has a purifying and propitiatory function: according to tradition, omens for the coming year are drawn from the direction of the smoke and the flight of the sparks. "If the smoke goes west, grab your bag and go for seeds; if it goes east, grab your bag and go to the tavern," says a popular saying.

Pinza, mulled wine, and community

Around the bonfire, the Pro Loco Castello di Caneva distributes pinza—the humble festive cake made with flour, dried fruit, and figs—and hot mulled wine to all participants, warming up the winter evening. It is a simple and heartfelt moment, where the community comes together to bid farewell to the holidays and wish each other a happy new year, while children watch the sparks rise into the sky. In the nearby hamlet of Stevenà, the same evening is enhanced by a treasure hunt among the nativity scenes of the village.