Flower Festival

The flower festival (Fesucila Nesa in native language) is a yearly tradition among the nomadic Nilne Sichin, which takes place at the start of Summer and consists in weave floreal decorations. Some of the tribes take great pride in their flowery art.

Execution

Among their numerous traditions, one of the most successful ones is the Fesucila Nesa, as they call it. It takes place during the first full moon night after the summer solstice (and the following morning), and involves the majority of the eastern tribes. Each village prepares the most beatiful floreal composition they can during the night, chanting and asking the spirits of nature to inspire them a better work than their neighbours. When dawn comes, the laying ceremony starts, during which they lay on the ground around the village or by the trees nearby they splendid works. When the ritual is over, with more chanting and singing, the village prepares to leave. For weeks the migrating tribes keep finding and admiring their "rivals" works.
Last year, I had the opportunity to attend the flower festival: I was in the forests for my studies around that date and asked them whether I could stay with them during the night and document the ritual. It was one of those tribes which care the most about the tradition and watching their works was marvelous, amazing! Such colours, such strength exuding from their art!

— Traditions of the Eastern Sichin, Erve-Eute uf Jenlque

Components and tools

Many tribes care deeply for this tradition: they prepare months in advance looking for just the right plants and flowers. Because, as they explained to me while I was among them, you don't just need flowers: that the exterior part that one sees, but the flowers are mounted on a base of intertwined branches that almost disappears behind their beautiful colours, but that has to be at the same time solid enough to sustain the composition and thin enough to be elegant.
On year, they told me, there was what they called the Great Withering, a catastrophic spring during which their favourite flowers did not blossom. Years later I could still see the sadness in their eyes. Oh, poor souls!

— Traditions of the Eastern Sichin, Erve-Eute uf Jenlque

Primary Related Location

Sichine Nilne

Related Ethnicities

• Nilne Sichin