Maybe it happens to you, going around the Umbria countryside, to see a cross in the fields.
Sure you’ll see in our olive groove.
Are cross made with reeds with an olive twig blessed.
According to the tradition the day of St Peter (29th of April), during the Eucharistic celebration the twigs are blessed and then put in the reeds cross. The 2nd of May, before the Santa Croce’s day,  the crosses are put in the fields.
The day after or however next Sunday, close to Il Poggio, at the Crucifix church, people use the opportunity to make merry.
Infect, after the celebration, and during the whole day, there’s wine and porchetta for everybody.
Everything with the aim to protect the crop from hail, storm and all possible misfortune.
Crosses must be turned to the church of the village.
When the crop is made, we use to do “charity to the cross”, as thanks for the crop, putting a twigs with olive or some else fruit in the cross.
This is a typical tradition in the centre of Italy, somewhere cross are made with hazel wood instead of reeds, but you can be sure you’ll find at Il Poggio delle Ginestre.
Sonia