Please join me, Allison Scola of Experience Sicily, along with Villa Palagonia music duo and Gelsomino Imports at Eolo Seasonal Sicilian Kitchen in New York City on Sunday, December 13 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a very special Festa di Santa Lucia event. There will be unlimited exquisite food and wine, live Sicilian-inspired music, a presentation about the cult of Santa Lucia, and Gelsomino Imports gift baskets for sale. For more details visit http://experiencesicily.com/events/festa-di-santa-lucia/

Call Eolo Seasonal Sicilian Kitchen to secure your reservation: 646-225-6606.

Although Santa Lucia lived and died in Siracusa, after a series of thefts and deals over the centuries, her body was divided up, and parts of it, known as relics, have been moved around Europe and the Mediterranean. A significant amount of them are under the auspices of the Church of San Geremia in Venice. Devotees of saints throughout the world consider such body parts the sacred link to their patron, and they venerate them fanatically. By fervent request, in recent years, the Church of San Geremia has agreed, every ten years, to return their relics of Santa Lucia to Siracusa for one week during her feast period. December 2014 marked the return of the relics, which were processed throughout the streets of Ortigia (Siracusa) along with the priceless silver statue of the saint. Needless to say, such an event is a big deal to devotees. Currently, there is discussion between the monsignor in Venice and the Archbishop of Siracusa to return the saint’s remains to the duomo in Ortigia permanently.