Christmas Novena in Morcote

In some villages in the canton of Ticino during the Christmas Novena (nine days of devotional prayer), it is still common to ring the bells by hand. The village of Morcote on the shores of Lake Lugano is known for its rituals, including ringing the bells by manually moving the clapper (also known as the «biciocá» ) to make it hit the bell. The bellringers gather in a room with a fireplace, a table and wooden benches in the bell tower, making this ritual a moment of social interaction and sharing. Between 8pm and 11pm, volunteers gather around the table to share food and drink with friends and acquaintances, and take turns climbing up the bell tower to ring the bells. The simple yet festive melodies are passed down orally by the most experienced bell ringers. The event is open to the public, and always draws a large number of visitors from all over the canton and from nearby Italy. A maximum of 10 to 15 visitors fit around the fireplace and on the wooden staircase leading to the bell chamber. Tradition has it that those who visit the bell tower bring along a bottle of wine, a string of pork sausages or a piece of cheese to share with whoever else is there.