Tag: festa
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Sicily Is Blooming
Today marks the start of the 73rd Sagra del Mandorlo (Almond Blossom Festival) in Agrigento. Thanks to my cousin Filippo Buttitta for this photo, taken in 2016.
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Cuccìa for Lucia
Cuccìa is a wheat berry (also barely, spelt, or farro) pudding made in honor of the Feast of Santa Lucia, the patron saint of wheat and grain. I made this cuccìa pictured, following the recipe in Giorgio Locatelli’s Made in Sicily cookbook. Cuccìa became the traditional dish of the December 13 feast because during the…
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Crunchy On The Outside
Earlier this week, I mentioned that in the days leading up to and including La Festa di Santa Lucia, Palermitani don’t eat flour-based foods. So what do they eat then? Arancine, of course! Yes, these balls-of-gold are a masterpiece of Palermitano wheat-free street food, and Sicilians of the Conco d’Oro take their arancine very seriously…
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Church Immaculate Conception
December 8 is the Festa dell’Immacolata or the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated throughout Italy. One of the most breathtaking churches in all of Sicily is the baroque church, Chiesa dell’Immacolata Concezione (The Church of the Immaculate Conception) in Palermo, where this photo of me was taken earlier this year. Above the…
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The Famine of 1646
In the days leading up to the Feast of Santa Lucia, December 13, many Sicilians refrain from eating pasta and only eat un-ground wheat grain, or “farro,” that is prepared as a dish called cuccìa. Devotees observe this ritual to remember the severe famine that struck Siracusa and Palermo in 1646. During that time of…
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A Faithful Maiden
Under the ancient Roman calendar, December 13 was the shortest day of the year: the winter solstice. Under our modern Gregorian calendar, the solstice in 2017 falls on December 21. In Sicily, December 13 is still recognized as a celebration of light, when they celebrate the Feast of Santa Lucia, the patron saint of the…
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Light Up the Dark
Please mark your calendar to come celebrate our shared light in New York City on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2PM at Cacio e Vino, where we’ll have a full luncheon with traditional Sicilian dishes for Santa Lucia, a presentation about the Patroness of Siracusa, and a short live concert of traditional Sicilian songs. Reservation and…
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Thousands Pay Homage In Tindari
The preparations are well underway. Since last week, the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna of Tindari, high on its promotory, has been holding nine successive days of prayer and meditation in preparation for the feast day, September 8. On September 7, in recognition of the mysterious Madonna Bruna from the east, devotees will hold a…
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Viva San Giuseppe in August too!
My cousin Francesca shared this photo with me from earlier tonight, when she was “out on the town,” in Bagheria. This week, the citizens of Bagheria are celebrating the summertime Festa di San Giuseppe. Yes, of course, we celebrate St. Joseph on March 19, but in addition, many towns hold large celebrations in August too,…