The «Vampata di S.Giuseppe» is a ritual that we celebrate the night before St Joseph ’s Day celebrated on the 19^th March. It is considered by everybody the «the Festivity of the Poor», because the Saint is said «the poor people's father». The custom  of the “vampata” (bonfires) is practiced in Palermo and in other towns of the hinterland, specially Bagheria, where St Joseph is the patron saint. During all the day before the festivity, the 18^th March, young and old people engage in the search of as much lumber possible to burn in the enormous bonfire that's set in the evening; all the old furniture, the  wood axis and tables and objects of combustible material are accumulated in a point to form very big stacks. The more lumber there will be, the greater and the higher the vampata will be, and it will illuminate the houses around as if it were midday ; usually the bonfires are burned in big, medium and small squares. Sometimes the fire is so high that it's necessary to call the firemen, who, every year try uselessly to prohibit the ritual. When the flames are nearly exhausted the boys jump on the live coal singing and screaming «VIVA SAN GIUSEPPE!».

Beyond the tradition, the ritual of the vampata is a moment of getting together for young, adult and old people, that meet around the fire to watch in fascination, their own old things burn.

The custom is related with the pagan cult of the Sun, in fact it is not a coincidence that we celebrate it some days before the spring equinox, and so besides honouring the Saint, the vampata is also a way to say farewell to the cold winter and to welcome the first warmth of spring.

In Sicily the «Fire's festivities» are still celebrated in other periods of the year, where the flames are always protagonists.