Exploring the traditions of Lent in Italy can lead us down a path of rituals deeply connected both with Christian beliefs and local customs. In Puglia, for instance, many families practice a curious rite involving … a grater.

Il rito della grattugia stands for symbolic cleansing and preparation for Lent: in it, people clean their cheese graters by passing them over a flame on Ash Wednesday, which symbolizes the cleansing of the soul and Lent’s purifying intentions.