Screppedde Festival

Screppedde: the taste of Christmas

In San Marco in Lamis, a village in the Province of Foggia nestled at the foot of the Gargano, Christmas has a distinct scent: that of the hot oil used to fry screppedde. These are a humble, ancient pastry made from simple ingredients—flour, boiled potatoes, and salt—kneaded into a soft dough, fried in abundant oil, and finished with a coating of powdered sugar or honey. The local dialect name has remained unchanged for centuries, a testament to how deeply rooted this tradition is in the town's identity.

The legend of Saint Anastasia

The story of the screppedde has been passed down through generations in San Marco in Lamis. Legend tells of Saint Anastasia, who interrupted her bread-making to rush and assist Mary during childbirth. Upon her return, finding the dough overflowing from the kneading trough, she decided to fry some and offer them as a gift to the Baby Jesus. This is why the saint is often depicted with a basket full of screppedde: the pastry thus becomes an offering, a gesture of love, and a symbol of the Nativity. In the Christmas traditions of San Marco, indulgence and devotion are intertwined in a single fritter.

The festival and the Christmas calendar

The Screppedde Festival is part of the rich Christmas calendar of San Marco in Lamis, which accompanies the community from December 9th until the Epiphany. During these weeks, the historic center comes alive with nativity scenes, concerts, workshops for children, living nativity scenes, and tastings of local products. The festival dedicated to screppedde is traditionally hosted at the town's churches and bakeries: over the years, key locations have included the Church of the Addolorata, with the Archconfraternity of the Seven Sorrows, and the Church of Saint Anthony Abbot, with the support of the local Scout group, alongside city bakeries where the fritters are prepared and distributed to visitors.

A community ritual

More than just a gastronomic event, the festival is a moment of togetherness: families, confraternities, associations, parishes, and merchants gather around the pots of oil, united in preparing and offering screppedde to everyone who passes by. The municipal administration, in collaboration with local associations and pastoral communities, coordinates the events of the San Marco Christmas. Tasting a warm screppedda, sprinkled with sugar or drizzled with honey, means stepping into the authentic heart of the Gargano and its folk traditions.

San Marco in Lamis and the Gargano

A town in the Province of Foggia and a gateway to the Foresta Umbra and the Gargano sanctuaries, San Marco in Lamis preserves a heritage of rituals, flavors, and devotions that reaches its peak during the Christmas season. The Screppedde Festival is one of the most genuine experiences for discovering this land: a simple pastry that tells the story of the soul of inland, mountainous Puglia better than any words.