Editorial photo #13329061 Human Interest
The Satriano Carnival
Men deposit Rumita masks in the woods, which men and women wear to transform themselves into trees, in Satriano di Lucania, Italy, on February 15, 2026. The Satriano Carnival is an ancient folk festival that takes place on the Saturday and Sunday before Shrove Tuesday and is considered the most characteristic, evocative, and mysterious in Basilicata. The uniqueness of this carnival ritual lies in the presence of three typical masks that parade through the streets of the town: Rumita, Urs, and Quaresima. It is considered one of the last arboreal and ancestral rituals to survive in their entirety. (Photo by Davide Pischettola/NurPhoto)