Religious festivals have always been very important all along the history of sardinian traditions. These were not only moments of worship but also a social event for bonding. In fact, many old villages, the ones in the nearby of the sacred spots, commonly had shelter for meetings and for the animals.
Nowadays, we have an example in the San Mauro's sanctuary, where we have a number of little houses commonly called “is cumbessias” or “is muristenes”.
The church of San Mauro is still in use, and mainly opened during three moments of the year:
The first two events are dedicated to the people of the village of Sorgono, while a lot of people come for the third, Santu Maru erriccu, from the whole island of Sardinia. In the old times, many local woman used to walk from the village to the sactuary the nine days before the event, and there they knee-walked around the church praying.
The main festival used to last six days: three where dedicated to cattle and steers and three to the horses. People gathered from all the near villages and some even from the furthest ones, using oxcarts decorated with flowers (called traccas).
On Sunday, after the procession with the simulacrum of the saint around the church, it is used to enter inside the church to sing the prays and other poems called goccios. Then the priest gives his speech and everyone says his pray in front of the statue of the saint.
After the Mass, those who had any arm or leg ill or suffer from headache touched
that part of their body to a fake one made by wood or cheese that they brought.
It was believed that doing so, and with a lot of praying, the pain would be
relieved and the limbs healed.
Others used to collect from the statue of the saint a colored string, which they
tie to their wrist. This tradition is still maintaned.