In the first week of September, the children of Florence come out in the streets in their Sunday best, singing songs and carrying papier-mâché lanterns tied to the ends of sticks, called rificolone. While many believe that rificolone celebrates the day troops of Florence triumphantly entered Siena, on August 2nd, 1555, with lanterns tied to the ends of the soldiers' pikes, there is amore popular reasoning surrounding rificolone. On September 7th, the day before the nativity of the Virgin a great autumn fair was held in Piazza Santissima Annunziata. The farmers and village people would come to the market in their finest clothes as last chance to earn money before the winter. Coming from the outer regions, they would arrive early carrying lanterns made by hanging candles with tissue papers acting as wind-shields. Their outfits and lanterns would be ridiculed by the children of Florence who would laugh and shoot at the farmers with their blowguns. They would sing songs ridiculing them. Till today a huge fest is held at the Piazza Santissima Annunziata on the 6th and 7th September with great food and wonderful performances being the highlights of the day.