Every year on the first Thursday in May, the small village of Cocullo in Italy sees thousands of visitors. They are all arriving to see the Snake Festival. The festival is held on Saint Dominic's Day. Saint Dominic lived in the town in the 11th century. At that time, there were many snakes in the village and many people died of snakebite. Saint Dominic got rid of the snakes and the people of Cocullo hold this festival to remember him. For some weeks before the festival, people collect snakes and then, on Saint Dominic's Day, they put all the snakes on a statue of Saint Dominic. At midday, they carry the statue and the snakes in a parade through the village. At the front of the parade is a band playing music and at the back are women in spcial clothes giving sweets and bread shaped like snakes to the people who are watching the parade. At the end of the parade, there are fireworks. ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** statue: a picture of a person or an animal made of stone, wood or metal snake: an animal with a long thin body and no legs