One of the most beloved traditions by the people of Sappada is the Carnival (Vosenòcht), an occasion for play, fun, and transgression, but also a fundamental moment in which local traditions and popular culture are revived.

The absolute protagonists are the masks (letter). To completely disguise themselves and not be recognized by fellow villagers, wooden masks (lòrvn) are used, often passed down from generation to generation.

The Sappada Carnival celebrations take place over a long period that spans three Sundays dedicated to the three different social classes of the past.

“Sunday of the Poor” (Pèttlar sunntach), where people dress in shabby clothes;

“Sunday of the Farmers” (Paurn sunntach) which recalls ancient agricultural work;

“Sunday of the Lords” (Hearn sunntach), an expression of the wealthy class and an occasion to show off the most refined costumes.

Other characteristic days of the period are “Fat Thursday” (Vaastign pfinzntòk), “Fat Monday” (Vrèss montach), a day entirely dedicated to the rollate, the typical Sappada mask, and “Fat Tuesday” (Schpaib ertach), with the No club, the masquerade on skis.

All moments of the Sappada Carnival feature the rollate as the protagonist. It is an austere and imposing character, dressed in a fur coat reminiscent of a bear's pelt and wearing a wooden mask.

These carved masks, with the harsh and pronounced features of the mountain man, are authentic masterpieces of local craftsmanship.

The name rollate derives from the rolln, the noisy spherical cowbells that the mask wears tied around the waist with a chain and that resonate as it walks. The rollate wears striped pants made from hile (the linen and wool fabric once used to cover livestock in winter) and wears iron-shod boots. The only vanity is the tuft of red wool on the hood and a handkerchief around the neck, red for the married and white for the single. The performers, usually chosen from the tallest young men in the village, advance brandishing a broom that, depending on the case, is used in a playful or threatening manner.

(Photo Manuel Piller Hoffer)

The folklore of Sappada is particularly expressed through the music and dances of the folkloric group Holzhockar (the Lumberjacks). Founded in 1975 by a group of friends, it consists of about thirty members, including dancers and musicians, who in their performances are inspired by the life and traditions of the past, accompanied by a large group of young people who represent the future of this important tradition. The group presents mimetic dances, musical stories, and gestures from the ancient world of work, such as the miner's dance (Knoppe), haymaking (Modartonz), the mill wheel (Mihlrad), and the Lumberjack dance, from which the group's name is derived. With their typical costumes and the cheerfulness of their music and dances, the Holzhockar enliven village festivals, mainly during the summer period. 

The group Holzhockar also organizes the International Folklore Festival since 1999, which over the years has seen participation from groups from many Italian regions and numerous foreign countries: it takes place during the Ferragosto period, on the occasion of the Plodar Fest “Folk a tutta Birra!”, a folkloric festival under the tent in the Eiben area. 

After sixty years of absence and meticulous preparation, the Sappada band, Plodar Plechmusik, has also recently come back to life, presenting itself to the public with members of all age groups and reviving a band tradition that had been present in the village for many decades.