Every year on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption — celebrating the Virgin Mary’s entrance into heaven — draws people across Italy to their parish churches for heartfelt festivities. This late summer celebration often includes candlelit processions, parades where wooden statues of Mary are carried through historic streets, and spectacular fireworks.
But in the town of Naz-Sciaves, in Italy’s northeast province of South Tyrol, the day carries a unique tradition.
In the days before the feast, local women gather sage, chamomile, mint, rosemary, and other herbs and flowers from the surrounding fields. These foraged plants are arranged into vibrant bouquets and brought to the town’s main church, St. Margaret’s, where they are placed beneath the altar.
Many parishioners bring their own bouquets on the morning of August 15, adding to the colorful display. During Mass, the local priest blesses the flowers and herbs, calling them “a gift from God to humankind.”
After the ceremony, the blessed bouquets are carried home and placed in the Herrgottswinkel — a corner in traditional South Tyrolean homes dedicated to sacred images, usually featuring a crucifix and icons. From this place of devotion, the herbs are believed to be a sign of God's protection of all people and animals in the household. “We forage these flowers because they are beneficial to health and can protect our homes, animals, and the entire town,” one young local told Italian broadcaster RAI News.
The custom stretches back to the 9th century, when Emperor Charlemagne decreed that every Alpine household in this remote part of his empire should maintain a garden of herbs and plants — a “natural pharmacy” for everyday health needs.
Many of the plants gathered for the feast have well-known healing properties: sage soothes sore throats, skin irritations, and digestive troubles; chamomile calms the mind and eases minor skin issues; rosemary acts as a decongestant for colds and coughs; and mint relaxes tense muscles, aids digestion, and relieves mild sinus discomfort.
As this centuries-old tradition reminds the people of Naz-Sciaves, the beauty and healing power of plants are indeed a gift from God.
