DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    Trumpets blare, women weep and a giddy crowd roars as burly men carrying towering wooden pillars charge through narrow streets in a medieval tradition of pride and devotion to their patron saint.     For more than 800 years, the ancient central Italian town of Gubbio has erupted in a riot of yellow, blue and black each May for the " Festa dei Ceri"  ( Festival of the  Candles) to honor patron saint  Ubaldo Baldassini , a 12th century bishop. one of the teams grimacing with the heavy candle     In a day filled with feverish festivities that include hurling jugs of water onto a crowd, the highlight is a strenuous race where three teams tear through the town and up a mountain with 400-kg wooden pillars balanced on their shoulders.     The festival taps into a deep-rooted sense of local pride and tradition -- the sort of fierce identity tied to their town or region that Italians are famous ...

These can be prepared a number of different ways. Pick one flavoring, then roll them in the coatings of your choice. ingredients 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder 1 1/2 cups Medjool dates, pitted 3 tablespoons (or more) unsweetened shredded coconut or quick-cooking oats Pinch of sea salt Flavoring options: (choose one) 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder Coating options: (mix and match) 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1/4 cup lightly toasted sesame seeds 1/2 cup crushed lightly toasted pistachios 1/2 cup crushed lightly toasted hazelnuts Ingredient info: Raw cacao powder and unsweetened shredded coconut can be found at natural foods stores, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets. preparation Purée cacao powder, dates, 3 tablespoons coconut, and salt in a food processor until almost smooth, adding water by teaspoonfuls if too dry and crumbly and cocon...