Tag: santagata
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Mid-Winter In Sicily Is Marked By The Feast of Sant’Agata
I’m thinking back to last year’s Feast of Sant’Agata. What an amazing few days it was with Don Toothaker and our Hunt’s Photo Photography in Sicily adventure! We were right in the middle of the action in Catania for the mid-winter feast. But not only – – we started in Palermo and traveled through Sicily…
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Day 12 of 16 Days of Sicily | Festivals with Fervor
Whether it’s in recognition of an abundance of ricotta or the success of the year’s artichoke harvest or a city’s patron saint, Sicilians celebrate with fervor! For example, during these first days of February (3, 4, and 5), in Catania, “cristiani” celebrate their patroness Sant’Agata with one of the world’s most potent religious festivals. Agata…
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Sant’Agata Illustrated Strength Through Her Faith
Viva Sant’Agata! The three day mid-winter Feast of Sant’Agata is upon us! Agata was a virgin martyr who died in 251 CE. Legend is that she was the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family from Catania. A faithful Christian, Agatha swore herself to Jesus. Important to know, during her lifetime, Christianity was illegal under Roman…
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Devoted Cittadini! Cittadini!
Even though this year’s feast for Sant’Agata will not be on the streets because of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is in the hearts of devotees in Catania. If you close your eyes, in your mind’s eye you can hear the thousands in their call and response: “Semu tutti devoti tutti? Cittadini, Cittadini!” “Certo! Certo!” (“Are we…
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W Sant’Agata!
Viva Sant’Agata! Word spread throughout Sicily about the brutality that Agatha endured and how she stood strong in her Christian faith through it all (as recounted in yesterdays’ post). Over time, her cult grew. That brings us to contemporary Catanian’s devotion to the virgin martyr that reaches a fever pitch during the annual feast from…
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The Feast Of Sant’Agata Is Upon Us
The three day mid-winter Feast of Sant’Agata is upon us! Agata was a virgin martyr who died in 251 CE. Legend is that she was the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family from Catania. A faithful Christian, Agatha swore herself to Jesus. Important to know, during her lifetime, Christianity was illegal under Roman rule. So,…
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The Bust Of Sant’Agata Of Sicily
Replicas of the bust of Sant’Agata appear all over Catania. The actual bust is made of precious metals and is encrusted with jewels, making it extremely heavy. During these days of the feast, February 3 to 5, Catania’s faithful engage in back-breaking activities to illustrate their devotion and honor their patroness, Sant’Agata. Through rituals, they…
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Sicily’s Breast Shaped Pastry
When you see this pastry show up in every pasticceria in Sicily, you know February is upon us. Minna di Sant’Agata (or Minna di Sant’Aita in Sicilian), or Saint Agatha’s Breast, is made and eaten in honor of the Sant’Agata, Catania’s patroness. The breast-shaped pastry represents the virgin martyr who is the patron saint of…