The Cricket Festival
On Ascension Day (ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven) in Florence, crowds gather in the Cascine Park along the banks of the River Arno – to celebrate Festa del Grillo, or the Cricket Festival, the chirping cricket traditionally marking the arrival of spring. Lots of stalls are set up which sell thousands of little crickets and other souvenirs, and there are musical performances throughout the day. Children bring crickets from the park and hang them in cages at their windows. People in Florence believed that if the cricket chirps to them, they'll have good luck.
