Category: Feasts
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A Sicilian Image Of The Epiphany
Today is the Epiphany also know as Three Kings Day, the day that marks the end of the Christmas season and observes when the infant Jesus was presented to the Magi or three wise men. Epiphany means an illumination or discovery. Legend is that the Magi were Persian priests “from the East” who read the…
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Custonaci, Sicily’s Annual Live Nativity Scenes
We took a trip back in time today during the 40th Edition of the live presepio (Nativity) presented in Custonaci, Sicily. With Erice as the backdrop with Venus rising with the moon, this was a special visit! Inside the area of the magnificent natural Grotta Mangiapane (Mangiapane family cave), locals take on the roles of…
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Wishing You Joy For Christmas
Merry Christmas! Buon Natale! May you feel the joy of the light of the universe within you. (Nativity scene from the mid-12th Century “Martorana Church,” Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio in Palermo)
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Ex-Votos in Sicily for Santa Lucia
At the sanctuary devoted to Santa Lucia in Siracusa, pilgrims offer ex-votos shaped like eyes. Ex-votos are iconographic body parts or other symbols that are offered to a divinity or spirit guide as gratitude for healing or grace received. The eyes and heart pictured here represent ailments of the eyes (Need some insight or help…
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Answers To Your Sicily Travel Questions
This is the magnificent duomo of Cefalù built by my favorite Norman king, Roger II, in the 12th century. This evening, Dec. 1, I’ll be in Princeton, NJ at Dorothea’s house talking about amazing sites like this and Sicily travel. And Monday night too, Dec. 2, I will be live online on Zoom, when I’ll…
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Saint Martin’s Day Biscuits in Sicily
November 11 is Saint Martin’s Day. In Sicily, it marks two important moments of the agricultural year. It is the day when wheat farmers must have finished planting the seeds for next year’s grain, and it is when, traditionally, wine makers taste their fermenting new wines (the juice/must that was created from August/September/October’s grape harvest)…
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Sicilian Cookies For The Dead
All Saint’s and All Soul’s Day (1 November) followed by the Day of the Dead (2 November) are upon us. In Sicily, we are seeing the pastries and cookies consumed to commemorate these feast days that fall during the season when the veil between life and death is thin. These S cookies are just one…
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Day 12 of 16 Days of Sicily | Festivals with Fervor
Whether it’s in recognition of an abundance of ricotta or the success of the year’s artichoke harvest or a city’s patron saint, Sicilians celebrate with fervor! For example, during these first days of February (3, 4, and 5), in Catania, “cristiani” celebrate their patroness Sant’Agata with one of the world’s most potent religious festivals. Agata…
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Let’s Chat Tonight Online
Let’s chat and get our hands in the details! Join me this evening, Tuesday, January 16 at 7:30PM Eastern for a complimentary online presentation about traveling in Sicily. Learn more and register at https://experiencesicily.com/travel-to-sicily-online-presentation-and-qa/. Here with Gelsomina, I’m making Chiacchiere di Carnevale. When ready, this pastry is a crunchy, sweet, fried dough garnished with powdered sugar. Leading…