San Fratello – the Jews
The representation of the appearance of the demonic and the chaos determined by the death of Jesus Christ is evident in the masks of the Jews of San Fratello that in the days of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday preceding Easter walk through the streets of the country jumping, running, performing in acrobatics, bothering passers-by, singing, rumbling with chains and fanfare, disturbing the solemn unfolding of the rites and processional parades.
The Jews, played by young men, wear a kind of uniform, richly worked with silk embroidery and beads of various colors, in which red and yellow prevail. On their heads they wear a red cloth cap with an elaborate helmet on which stand out plumes, rabbit or sheep skins and Christian symbols or popular paintings such as crosses, fishes, hearts, eagles, moonshades and red meats.