Experience Sicily

Tag: santa lucia

  • Where Ancient Myths Linger

    The Cathedral of Syracuse was constructed in the 7th century C.E., engulfing the 5th century B.C.E. Greek Temple of Athena. The original Doric-style columns of the temple, pictured, are visible both inside and outside of the “Duomo” that houses the relics of the city’s patron saint, Santa Lucia. The statue in this photo is one…

  • Cookie of the Beholder 

    Of course we know that for la Festa di Santa Lucia Sicilians eat Cuccìa (pictured top) and arancine (rice balls), purposefully avoiding wheat grain in recognition of the severe famine of 1624 that the patron saint of wheat, eyes, sight, and light helped resolve once she heard her devotees’ prayers. But what I learned from my friend…

  • Santa Lucia: They Called, She Responded 

    The priceless silver statue of Santa Lucia (in the photograph pictured) will be processed through the streets of Ortigia on December 13, her feast day. Devotees wearing green caps and singing “Viva Santa Lucia” in a call-and-response fashion, will carry her sacred relics. This age-old devotion is rooted in the ancient Greek Persephone/Kore and Demeter myth, which…

  • Viva Santa Lucia!

    Viva Santa Lucia! Today is the Feast of Santa Lucia. Devotees wearing green caps process her priceless silver statue and sacred relics through the streets of Oritgia, Sicily. Throughout the march, faithful sing a call-and-response in reverence to their patroness: Viva Santa Lucia! —Starting at 3 p.m. Today, Sunday!— Join us on Sunday, December 13…

  • Patroness of Light

    Altar featuring Santa Lucia, Ortigia, Siracusa.   Join us on Sunday, December 13 in New York City! Experience Sicily is partnering with Eolo Seasonal Sicilian Kitchen for a special afternoon feast celebrating Santa Lucia. We’ll enjoy traditional dishes (cuccia and arancine), live music (by Villa Palagonia), and a lecture-discussion about the feast (led by Allison…

  • The Arancina of My Eye

    Let’s talk about the lighter side of the traditions for the Festa di Santa Lucia: Arancine! Yes, this ball of gold is a masterpiece of Palermitano wheat-free street food, and Sicilians of the Conco d’Oro take their arancine very seriously on Saint Lucy’s feast day. The fried rice balls stuffed with beef ragu, peas, and…

  • Caravaggio Captured Lucia’s Light

    At the dawn of the 4th century, practicing Christianity in the Roman-ruled city of Siracusa was illegal. Already though, inspired by nearby Catania’s Patron Saint, Sant’Agatha, who lived just a few decades before (from 231 AD – 251 AD), the young and beautiful Lucia devoted herself to Christianity. In fact, she was known to enter…

  • Coochy Coochy … Cuccìa

    To celebrate Lucia, the Patron Saint of eyes, sight, light, and wheat, Sicilians eat cuccìa. Cuccìa is a pudding made of farro (wheat berries or barley), milk (in this case, ricotta), and honey or sugar. This culinary ritual is practiced in remembrance of the grain that finally arrived by boats on their way from North…

  • The Symbols of Santa Lucia

    A dagger, eyes on a plate, flames or a torch, and a palm are the symbols of Santa Lucia. A dagger to symbolize how the Roman soldiers finally killed the virgin martyr. Eyes on a plate to remind us that the beautiful maiden’s eyes were either gouged out by the Roman soldiers or she did…