September 8 Marks A Rebirth

September 8 is considered the birthday of the Blessed Mother by the Catholic Church. As a result, throughout Sicily this week, there are festivals to celebrate the Madonna. It’s not clear why this date was officially chosen as such; however, let’s consider the cycle for cultivating grain — an essential crop for sustaining life in…

Santa Lucia Was Grounded In Her Faith

On Sunday in New York City, we will celebrate Santa Lucia with a traditional lunch at Pasta Eater restaurant prepared by guest che Giuseppe Sciurca. Full, four-course menu (including cuccìa), live concertino of Sicilian songs, raffle of Sicily-inspired products, and an altar and presentation for Santa Lucia. Register at https://experiencesicily.com/events/festa-di-santa-lucia/ Santa Lucia was born in…

52 Reasons to Love Sicily | #16. Fantastic Feasts and Festivals

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,…

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…

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…

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/