The Putignano Carnival is the longest and oldest carnival in Europe. It is the longest because it starts on December 26^th with the "Rito della Proppagine" , and it is the oldest because it has now been established that on 26^th December, 1394 the mortal remains of St. Steven Protomartyr were transferred from Monopoli to Putignano. The emblem of the Putignano carnival is the mask of Farinella. The name derives from "farinella" ("a povele" in vernacular ) an ancient, but extremely tasty, poor man's dish consisting of ground chick peas and toasted barley  mixed with sauces or eaten with fresh figs. Today Farinella resembles a court jester with his multicoloured costume and bells decorating the points of his hat, his shoes and  his collar. Originally, however, the mask wore a green and white costume, which were traditionally the town's colours, and a three-pointed hat which represented the three hills on which Putignano stands; he was always portrayed in the act of trying to help a dog and a cat make peace, which symbolised the disagreements between the inhabitants of the town.