Today, Saint Stephen’s Day, is a national holiday in Italy. Traditionally, Sicilians and Italians spend the day with family and friends visiting presepi di Natale, or nativity scenes, like this one pictured from Caltagirone, a city renowned for its ceramic presepi. In fact, the city is home to a museum of nativity scenes that boasts…
Tag: nativity scene
Live Nativity Scenes In Sicily
Today is Saint Stephen’s Day, a national holiday in Italy. Sicilians and Italians spend the day with family and friends visiting presepi di Natale, or nativity scenes, like this Presepe Vivente that I visited last year in Licodia Eubea in Catania province, where I’ll be hosting our Life in A Remote Sicilian Town tour in…
The Days Between Christmas And Epiphany in Sicily
In the days between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6, also known as La Befana or Three Kings Day), Sicilians spend time with family and friends and often enjoy festivals and presentations featuring the nativity scene–both performed live with actors or in diorama form, like this one created by Zio Lillo (Uncle Lillo) in Sant’Angelo Muxaro.
Christmas Presepio In Sicily
Scene from a Christmas presepio created by Zio Lillo (Uncle Lillo) in Sant’Angelo Muxaro.
Saint Stephen’s Day in Sicily
Today is Saint Stephen’s Day, a national holiday in Italy. Sicilians and Italians spend the day with family and friends visiting presepi di Natale, or nativity scenes, like this one pictured, made by Zio Lillo in Sant’Angelo Muxaro, north of Agrigento. Even more elaborate are ones presented by actors or townspeople dressed as the Holy…
Merry Christmas from Experience Sicily
Merry Christmas! Buon Natale! Peace and joy to you and your loved ones. Pace e gioia a te e a tutti i tuoi cari. (16th century sculpture photographed in the Duomo di Siracusa, attributed to Domenico Gagini)
Sicilian Precepio for Christmas
Scene from a Christmas presepio created by Zio Lillo (Uncle Lillo) in Sant’Angelo Muxaro.
The Day After Christmas in Sicily
Today, Saint Stephen’s Day, is a national holiday in Italy. Sicilians and Italians spend the day with family and friends visiting presepi di Natale, or nativity scenes, like this one pictured from Chiesa di San Bartolomeo in Scicli. Even more elaborate are ones presented by actors or townspeople dressed as the Holy Family, accompanied by…
Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and a Zampogna Player
Nativity scenes (presepe or presepio) in Sicily and Southern Italy don’t just illustrate the Holy Family, they also show the folk traditions of the people in the region. For example, at the presepe in Sant’Elia that Experience Sicily’s Filippo Buttitta photographed last week, the life-sized figures include this zampogna, or bagpipe player. Zampogne (plural for…
Sant’Elia Seaside Nativity Scene
This is a nativity scene (or presepio or presepe) photographed by Experience Sicily’s Filippo Buttitta on the seaside at Sant’Elia. This photo was taken yesterday. Filippo reported that the weather in Sicily has been fantastic in recent weeks.