The feast of the Immaculate Conception in Sicily

Sicily, the greater of the Italian islands, is the ideal place to spend a few days in the magic of Christmas. One of the best times to enjoy Sicilian magic and Christmas tradition is the first week of December when the Feast of the Immaculate Conception takes place, enabling you to immerse yourself in art, tradition and magical atmospheres of the Sicilian Christmas period.

The feast

The feast of the Immaculate Conception kick off the Christmas holidays and in all italian regions is celebrated with religious processions, fireworks and typical foods. It’s also customary to decorate the Christmas tree, eat together with friends, play cards, and raffle.

Established in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, the feast sanctioned Catholic dogma that the Virgin Mary has been preserved from original sin since her conception.

Here are the main events of the Immaculate Conception of Sicily:

• The procession of Scordia in the province of Catania, which was held on December 7 in the church of San Rocco, where young people carried in procession cane crosses with wide cloths, with the image of the Immaculate and i scupi: scope on cane handles.
• In Siracusa the Immaculate Conception of Mary is celebrated with a novena, while the night of December 7, the band is usually played in the streets of Ortigia, from three to five in the morning, during the religious function with the celebration of Mass.
• At Calatafimi Segesta, in Trapani, there is a charming night procession.
• In Canicattì, in the province of Agrigento, on the eve of the Immaculate Conception is tradition preparing the Vamparotti: large bonfires, set up in every quarter.

Typical food of the Immaculate Conception in Sicily

The Christmas period is rich in typical Sicilian foods and sweets such as the so-called Muffuletta, a loaf of wheat aromatized and seasoned in different ways, or “U sfinciuni”, a soft focaccia seasoned with tomato sauce, anchovy, horse; Petrafennula, a kind of Arabian nougat prepared with honey, almonds, orange peel and cedar and the cucciddatu, which is nothing more than a dough paste dotted with a filling of dried figs, raisins, almonds, rinds orange, and is often shaped like a donut.

Whatever your preferred idea to spend this holiday of the Immaculate Conception, there is now only one thing to do: book your trip on one of the ferries to Sicily.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/leandrociuffo