Appointment from 3 pm in Sinnai for the representation of "Is cerbus" , the deer hunt through the streets of the town ending in Piazza Sant'Isidoro: about seventy masks that will be the protagonists of the ancient hunt, of the Sinnai Carnival.
We will start from via Olimpia and then cross via Sant'Elena, Basilicata, Marche, Mameli, Funtanalada, Giardini with a final stop in Piazza Sant'Isidoro. The guest masks will be present with Is Cerbus and Is Cerbixeddus : “ Bois – Fui Janna Morti” by Esclaplano, “ Martis De Agoa” by Maracalagonis, “ Su Maimoni e Is Ingestusu ”, by Tertenia and “ Su Maimulu” by Gairo. The event is proposed by the Is Cerbus Association , established in Sinnai in 2007 with the aim of preserving and spreading the Sinnai carnival tradition.
«An ancestral tradition - reads a statement from the association, chaired by Maurizio Manca - of which there are relevant written references starting from the 18th century and which, until the establishment of the Association, was handed down by spontaneous groups which, albeit in more or less important forms, they had the great merit of guaranteeing its continuity».
The main event of the Carnival took place in Sinnai "su lunis de agoa", or the Monday before Shrove Tuesday, in which a real big game was simulated in which beaters (canaxius) and dogs combed the streets of the town in search de is cerbus (obviously men disguised as deer, but also as wild boar) with the task of flushing them out and pushing them towards the hunters (is cassadoris) usually lurking in the streets of the center, where deer and wild boar were promptly killed, obtaining supremacy over the wicked and celebrating punctually with donuts and dances.
The first task of the Association was therefore to promote this event which, moved to the Sunday of the "Pentolaccia", has had a considerable growth in recent years both in terms of the number of masked participants and in terms of public attendance which saw reach Sinnai thousands of enthusiasts, tourists, photographers and simply curious . Is postas (the stakeouts) of is cassadoris have been found for just over ten years in the large and welcoming Piazza Sant'Isidoro, the scene of the punchline and an epilogue faithful to tradition. In the last three editions, several masks from other Sardinian villages have also participated in the event.
The clothing of the costume generally consists of velvet trousers, leather country shoes (cosingius) and black shirt; but, as it varies according to the mask, we have sheepskins, cowbells, greaves and berrita for Is Canaxius; goat fur, deer antlers and boar fur for deer and wild boar; velvet vest and hat, shirt and mock rifle for hunters; plus other individual accessories of clear ethnic origin.