U pisci a mari”24 June, Feast
of St John (Acitrezza) characterised by “ a traditional, pantomime
performed by local fishermen, a
parody of fishing for sword fish.
It is one of the most spectacular
events in Sicily. The simple performance ransmits the depth of
the relationship between the fisherman and the sea from Verga
Caltagirone The City
of Ceramics. Lights up with
the Santa Maria Del Monte
142 Steps of Artisan Majolica lit
for St James Feast on the 24-25
July. The city’s name is derived
from the Arabic “qal’at-alghiran” meaning “Hill of
Vases.” In July it is a tradition
to light the Steps celebrating
the Saint. On the evening of
July 23rd, the Russo Family
places candles along the steps
to form a design of a sacred
image with coloured “coppi”,
candles. They are filled with
olive oil and then lit up.
CATANIA CUSTOMS
AND TRADITIONS
S. Fratello’s Feast of the Jews
The Hundred Horse
Chestnut is the largest and
oldest known chestnut tree in
the world. Located in
Sant’Alfio,a small town on the
Linguaglossa Road, only 8 km
from the volcano's crater it is
generally believed to be 2,000
to 4,000 years old. It has a
legendary story tied to the
Aragona Dinasty. Guinnes
World Records has listed it for
the record of "Greatest Tree
Girth Ever", as it had a
circumference of 57.9 m when
measured in 1780. Aboveground the tree has since split
into multiple large trunks, but
below-ground these trunks still
share the same roots.The tree's
name originated from a legend
in which a queen of Aragon and
her company of one hundred
knights, during a trip to Mount
Of medieval origin, the
representation is extremely
suggestive and recalls the JEWS
beating Jesus on the way to his
martyrdom on Mt Cavary. S.
Fratello’s character is not only a
folk symbol, with his annoying
trumpet, but he represents the
one who crucifies, flagellates
Christ, the soldier who lacerated
Christ ‘s chest. So he must be
seen as a grotesque, mad
emotional figure. Lots of people
from the village accurately look
after their costume which has
been handed down for
generations. It has a red jacket
and red muslin trousers with
stripes of different colours,
generally yellow or white. Their
head is covered by the sbirrjan
mask (gallo-italic language)
which ends with a thin rope as a
tail. It recalls old medieval
congregations , confraternities
such as the Mercy Confraternity.
Their aspect is unusual under
other points of view they have a
shiny skin with long-arched and
thick eyebrows, a long black
tongue, they wear hide shoes,
carry chains in their left hand and
trumpets;. Decorations of
coloured and embroidered
threads on their j