A dance to have fun swinging

'U NDONDO'R, with etymological roots of the dialect word in the Greek language, has the meaning of "walking and swinging, swaying"

 

'U ndond'r ... is part of the history of the Putignano carnival and its origin is lost in the mists of time, perhaps at the very origins of the carnival, on December 26th 1394.

The story goes that at the end of the parade, the only one held every year on Mardi Gras, around twelve o'clock, "'u ndond'r" was born. Characters of the town with a cheerful temperament group to involve more and more people, until the became very numerous and all in masks, dressed of all kinds, with the mayor on their head, invaded the streets of the town.

 

Various instruments, pot lids, wooden claps, trumpets and any other item that can cause deafening noises and together with traditional instruments such as drums, guitars, "gnacchere" and anything else animated the procession.

 

'U ndond'r ...' u ndond'r, pass .. 'u ndond'r, all on the doors to give each other a voice and go down the street and blend into the cheering crowd. Happiness ... real.

These celebrations were prohibited starting from 1954 by the then Mayor in office because provocative strangers sneaked into the procession who in an unsuitable and polite way bordered on almost violent gestures, certainly not funny! It has been restored in recent years as a children's A ndondr