And then of course, there are annual and biannual commemorations for deities and patron saints throughout the region that include everything from making ritual breads for Saint Joseph and Saint Blaze and decorating the streets with linens and flowers for the Pentecost, for just two examples, to processions for feasts recognizing Easter, the Madonna, Christ,…
Tag: festa
The Staff, Wreath, And Palm: Ritual Bread For Saint Joseph’s Day
Join me to recognize St. Joseph’s Day on Thursday, March 18 at 8PM Eastern. Register at https://experiencesicily.com/st-josephs-day-online/ You’ll learn more about the feast. Such as, on traditional St. Joseph’s Day altars or le tavolate di San Giuseppe, you will see these three types of loaves pictured. On the left is the staff (vastuni), which represents…
Ritual Bread For Saint Joseph
Food historians believe grains were introduced to Sicily in approximately 1000 BCE by the Phoenicians. By 150 BCE, during the Roman era, grain became the base of island’s cuisine. By 1000 CE, during the Arab era, the majority of Sicily’s landscape was dedicated to grain agriculture, and that remains true today. Once you learn the…
Join Us Thursday For Saint Joseph’s Day Online
Join me on Thursday, March 18 at 8PM Eastern for an online presentation for Saint Joseph’s Day. More details and register at https://experiencesicily.com/st-josephs-day-online/ San Giuseppe is the patron of fathers, carpenters, and those who toil for their work. He is probably Sicily’s most important saint.
An Altar For Santa Rosalia
Normally on September 4, devotees of Santa Rosalia, Palermo’s patroness, recognize their protectress with a solemn pilgrimage to her sanctuary at the top of Mount Pellegrino. They pay homage to the maiden who died on this day in 1166, with prayers, solitude, and a trek up the mountain barefoot or on their knees. This year…
The Street Exuded Joy In Sicily
Although today is the feast of Sant’Anna, I’m recalling last July when, along with our Experience Sicily Life in A Remote Sicilian Town tour group, we were communing with the locals of Licodia Eubea for the feast of Santa Margherita, their patron saint. The Strada Lunga was decorated with luminare, the bars and gelaterie were…
Yes, Chandeliers Made With Pasta, Dates, and Corn
Do you see the pasta? The chandeliers or “ninphe” of the Arches of Easter or Archi di Pasqua in San Biagio Platini are made of natural elements. Learn more about this extraordinarily creative feast in Sicily from the latest episode On Sicily, when I talk with local insider Pierfilippo Spoto. More at https://experiencesicily.com/2020/04/16/conversations-on-sicily-vol-2020-2/
Conversations On Sicily, Vol. 2020.1
La Settimana Santa or Holy Week in Caltanissetta, Sicily Be transported to Sicily for Easter with an in-depth discussion about how Sicilians celebrate these most holy holidays. Holy Week in Sicily is epic, and the citizens of Caltanissetta, Sicily are serious about their celebration. Join me, Allison Scola owner/curator of Experience Sicily, for a conversation…
May Light Greet You Today
Viva Santa Lucia!
Thanks To Cacio E Vino And Our Guests | Viva Santa Lucia
A few photos from our Experience Sicily Santa Lucia Feast in New York City. Thanks to Cacio e Vino for hosting us with the excellent food and service! Thanks to our guests who brought their beautiful spirits to share with each other! It was a joyful afternoon. Viva Santa Lucia!