The first time we saw the old man burn was New Years Eve, 2006. We saw the 50' high straw man being built and had no idea what it was for. But at 11:00pm we went into the Piazza Maggiore and listened to live music with a packed crowd. At a few seconds before midnight the straw man began to burn, fireworks spewed from its hands and head and in a minute it was a torch. Spumanti flew and someone gave us cups of the stuff to toast the New Year. What a ball!!!
This year we again visited the Piazza and saw not a giant straw man, but a giant straw frog. We found out that each year a different artist is chosen to design and supervise the building of the giant effigy. Usually a man, on leap year a woman and sometimes other things, like a frog. It turns out that the frog has a special meaning to the people of Bologna. Here is an excerpt that explains that relationship:
“Every year the effigy of the “vecchione” is made by a different artist and several famous artists have lent their skills to the project. This year, however, a young artist called Marco Dugo won the commission in a competition held by the Comune di Bologna and he has decided to represent the “vecchione” in a very original way: What the Bolognesi will be burning this New Year’s Eve will, in fact, be an effigy of an enormous frog, “la rana”. The figure of the frog has several connections with Bolognese history: first of all, there is a Bolognese saying, “avere della rana”, which means to be poor; secondly, there is an image of a frog, representing poverty, in the head office of the Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna; and thirdly, “La Rana” was the title of a satirical newspaper which was printed in the city during the austere era of 1865 – 1912. So this year the “rogo del vecchione” is renamed “il rogo della rana” [“the burning of the frog”].”
Again we got there early and listened to a rock concert that was really fun. Freezing cold too. This time I had my own Prosecco and 4 cups (there were four of us) and on schedule the frog started to burn. Fireworks shot out of its head, and a major fireworks display started as well. We toasted, hugged, I sprayed the end of the Prosecco over the crowd, following the lead of many. One guy whipped out his pizzel and pissed. Many cell phones caught his drunken act. Some young assholes threw a bunch of fire crackers into the crown but did no real harm. The frog passed out (fell over) and we wended our way home to the hotel. The music went on for 2 more hours. I think we were the oldest people in the piazza. God it’s good to be alive.
Image of model: www.terzaeta.com terzaeta.comterzatea.com
Image of straw frog :www.multimedia.quotidano.net
1. http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/bologna/new-year-s-eve-bologna
This year we again visited the Piazza and saw not a giant straw man, but a giant straw frog. We found out that each year a different artist is chosen to design and supervise the building of the giant effigy. Usually a man, on leap year a woman and sometimes other things, like a frog. It turns out that the frog has a special meaning to the people of Bologna. Here is an excerpt that explains that relationship:
“Every year the effigy of the “vecchione” is made by a different artist and several famous artists have lent their skills to the project. This year, however, a young artist called Marco Dugo won the commission in a competition held by the Comune di Bologna and he has decided to represent the “vecchione” in a very original way: What the Bolognesi will be burning this New Year’s Eve will, in fact, be an effigy of an enormous frog, “la rana”. The figure of the frog has several connections with Bolognese history: first of all, there is a Bolognese saying, “avere della rana”, which means to be poor; secondly, there is an image of a frog, representing poverty, in the head office of the Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna; and thirdly, “La Rana” was the title of a satirical newspaper which was printed in the city during the austere era of 1865 – 1912. So this year the “rogo del vecchione” is renamed “il rogo della rana” [“the burning of the frog”].”
Again we got there early and listened to a rock concert that was really fun. Freezing cold too. This time I had my own Prosecco and 4 cups (there were four of us) and on schedule the frog started to burn. Fireworks shot out of its head, and a major fireworks display started as well. We toasted, hugged, I sprayed the end of the Prosecco over the crowd, following the lead of many. One guy whipped out his pizzel and pissed. Many cell phones caught his drunken act. Some young assholes threw a bunch of fire crackers into the crown but did no real harm. The frog passed out (fell over) and we wended our way home to the hotel. The music went on for 2 more hours. I think we were the oldest people in the piazza. God it’s good to be alive.
Image of model: www.terzaeta.com terzaeta.comterzatea.com
Image of straw frog :www.multimedia.quotidano.net
1. http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/bologna/new-year-s-eve-bologna
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