In the land that once belonged to the famous Giudicessa Eleonora d’Arborea, on February 2 each year, Sa Candelora takes place: the pagan tribute that sa Sartiglia had to pay to Christianity. In other words, the Christianization of the pagan rite of Sa Sartiglia, a long-awaited moment for all Oristanis, in which the appointed On Cumponidori (Runner-in-chief), su Segundu e su Terzu of the year receive their respective sacred and blessed candles, which will then also be distributed to relatives, friends and speakers at the end of the mass. In the past, this was done with extreme confidentiality, the Gremio president in this regard would go together with the highest representatives of the Gremio and the young men called operaieddus directly to the house of the man chosen to be Su Componidori, to whom he would wish according to the affiliation of the Gremio: Santu Giuanni ti salvidi! if from the Gremio of the Peasants or Santu Giuseppi ti salvidi! if from that of the Carpenters and the investiture was not in the eyes of the people, but reserved for a few. Moreover, su Cumponidori had to present himself to the competiton pure, free from sins, therefore, on the same day or some day before He had to confess his sins and receive the Eucharist. And speaking of purity, the women who dressed su Cumponidori called is Massajeddas were supposed to be virgins. 
But remains a mistery whether this last information is true or not, there are no sources that actually attest it. With the passage of time everything has changed, today anyone, even tourists who come to Oristano just to watch the Sartiglia can go and participate in sa Candelora as well as at the investiture of Su Cumponidori in their respective chosen centuries-old houses: Via Aristana, Blowing of trumpets and su passu ‘e strada lead the still man to the house of the respective Gremio, if Sunday in that of the Peasants, if Tuesday in that of the Carpenters. Is Massajeddas, devoted handmaids of su Cumponidori, impeccably dressed in Sardinian costume and flanked by sa Massaja Manna (with more and more Cumponidori investitures behind him), wait for the man to come from the small room in which he has secluded himself to put on the first garments of the costume of su Cumponidori, nowadays still the same as in the 18th century, that of the typical Campidanese farmer. He is in the little room and slips on the embroidered linen shirt, typical of su Cumponidori, the honey-colored suede shorts and the leather boots, which probably in ancient times were the borzacchinos. Once He has arrived upon the table called sa mesitta he is invested as tradition would have it, to be as handsome as ever, but at the same time impassive, almost absorbed in his thoughts, bold as a knight from another time, and for one day: a god above all those around him. This is precisely the moment of encounter between paganism and Christianity, a coronation and supremacy above the people and for the people, the man who becomes superman for a day and must prove to the people the value of his deeds through the faithful route of Sa Sartiglia, a route that recalls the great glories of chivalric culture of the past. During the moment of su Componidori’s investiture are put Cumponidori and his costume differs in the two Gremi for the only presence of some tassels ( the red one for the Gremio dei Contadini; those rose and blue for the Gremio dei Falegnami) and the color of the mask (green on Quinquagesima Sunday and brown for the Shrove Tuesday). On Cumponidori already dressed in a white embroidered shirt, with suede pants and boots, he is dressed by the is massajeddas with a coietto or collar (a leather bodice of the same color as the boots, more or less down to the knees and garnished with silver clasps that close it), at his hips is placed a large leather belt contained by a rich silver buckle, in the sleeves of the linen shirt are then tightened three silk bows of white, red and blue (the colors of the city of Oristano and of Aragonese and Arborense Sardinia) that thus create three puffs in the sleeves typical of the Secentesco costume . Is massajeddas operate magistrally the stiching of a headscarf or white veil made in zicchignac cloth which will be accurately stitched aaround the man’s head, and fixed under his chin with a golden brooch. Finally, a clear mantilla lies back gently upon the shoulders and the veil is tied up to the headbands. The transition from being a man to being a deity is marked the moment the impassive androgynous mask, from which the eyes of the ringleader are barely visible, is put on the Cumponidori, followed by the black tuba and the two-leafed red camellia, which is fixed in his chest. At one time, the camellia was carried by su Primu Majorali (the Major Worker), who later offered the sword to su Cumponidori, who touched it with his right hand as a sign of oath, and a massajedda secured it to his side, finally the silver spurs were applied to him. Today this ritual has been abolished, especially for an animal rights activist ethic the spurs which damaged the horses, often also rough, have been prohibited. However, this habit is testified in the book Storia di Oristano by Giuseppe Maria Carta and Goffredo Casalis. At this point, su Cumponidori, amidst blasts of trumpets and rolls of drums accompanying the entire investiture, directly from sa mesitta mounts his horse, also harnessed with seventy hand-embroidered rosettes, bows, and cockades that make him worthy of being the steed of the leader of the sa Sartiglia. Su Cumponidori da sa mesitta mounts the horse for a very specific reason: because he will not be able to touch the ground in the flesh, and on the horse he must remain until evening, the moment when he returns to sa mesitta he will be undressed and deprived of his otherworldly power and will return to being a common mortal of the same people he blessed during the day and to whom he gave unforgettable moments. Lastly, to confer to su Componidori the divine power it’s given to him sa Pippia de Maju, and with the same one He blesses the President, is Massaiedas and the Gremio. su Componidori sa Pippia de Maju, is Massajeddas and the Gremio. Once gone out from the house of the investiture, su Componidori is buddied from his most faithful: Su Secundu and Su Terzu cumponis, that is the second and the third knights whom will run the Race to the Star.
Around them, all the others knights, 120 in total, also them dressed with exquisite Sardinian clothes of everywhere, seat upon their horses harnessed with rosettes which have different colors which call to mind the Spring and hope for the prosperity. They all move in groups of 3 and parade from the investiture house to Mannu Square, where the actual equestrian jousting will begin with the blessing sa Remada de Su Cumponidori with Sa Pippia de Maju which will be done before the start of the Sartiglia, and at the end, after 120 descents – at the discretion of su Cumponidori – of riders who will have to skewer and win as many stars as possible for their Gremio to benefit. It is most important that su Cumponidori never touches the ground until the evening, nor is he unhorsed because it will be discomfort for himself and ill omen for the people At the end of the day after making the race for the star on Cumponidori together with the rest of the tailors return to the house in which the dressing was done, there they await him again is massajeddas for the undressing, the moment when the god for a day becomes common mortal again.
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