Feasts and Folklore at S. Lucia

Feast, a mixture of belief and folklore that people hands down from one generation to the other, are numerous. Often, the belief and folklore are melted and the distinction between holy and profane imperceptible.

Epiphany
Generally called "U Batticimu". Au Gennary 6TH , the procession winds along the way of the town. The peculiar attraction of the haly procession is represented from a lot of children who ovear picturesque dresses: young shepherds, young country - women, hunters, bakers, etc. take fruit, venison, rabbits, doves, sweets; girls offer linen and precious covers embroidered by hand.

St. Anthony the Abbot
On Gennary 17, since the daybreak, the small church is crowded with the believers that, fallonving an old tradition, affix some images of the Saint into the stables as protection of their animals or at home to word off danger of the fire. The procession takes place the next Sunday.

St. Blaise
On February 3RD into the Cathedral the joint patron is celebrated solemnly. Some time ago, early in the morning, the owners of donk ys, mules or horses went with their beasts, going round the cathedral for two or three turns to ask for the protection of the Saint. After the Bish op officiating at high Mass, the procession begins. Believers draw near relic religiously (a silver arm with gilded blessing hand). During the day, holy rolls of bread are divided at church. The rolls of bread consumed devoutly wil serve to preserve the throat from the diseas.

St. Joseph
He is celebrated on March 19TH into the medieval church of "Annunziata". An artistic woody statue of XVIII century is carred in procession. When it come back, after the traditional fire works, the High Mass, with a lot of believers. It is tradition in every house, in the day of the feast to prepaire tipical sweets called "Crespelle".

Good Friday
On Good Friday recurs a suggestive and touching centenary veneration. Eight artistical "varette" adorned with flowers richly, unthread the main streets accompanied by sad notes of the musical band. The Bishop, who Beneath the canopy, take's the precious relic of the cross admirable are the order, the calmness, the people's faith who live again the drama of the cross by prayers and chants. Many children, dressed with symbols of the "suffering" unthread, near the respective statues. A particular emotion provoke the children who are dressed like angels and follow the urn of dead christ.

Corpus Domini
For this solemnity the procession strats from the Cathedral. The Bishop dressed in white cope takes place beneath the canopy. He goes before the clergy. On the way, cloths and precious coverlets hang from the balconies and window ? sills while fanciful floral compositions adorn the streets.

Our Lady of the snow
It is the most ancient, popular and solemn religious feast; It is celebrate on agust 5TH and it is preceded from a period of prayers of nine days. The prospect of Castle is lit up Sumptuously, the slope of the hill is covered with multicolour lights. In the evening, in the country, are lighted some bonfire, tradition linked to a pagan devoution to Lucina goddess into our contry. On August 5TH , in the morning a lot of believers fill the sanctuary. At ten o'clock, the high mass is celebrated by the bishop. In the afternoon a beatiful woody statue (a reproduction of the original) is carried in procession.
Madonna Assunta's Feast
On agust 5TH in the rural quarter called "Misericordia" into a pleasant and pretty small church (180) is celebrated the Madonna Assunta. It is exciting to see barefooted believers in a group who bring bunchs of sweet ? smelling basil, to leave it in the church for people who will want bring it for veneration.

Madonna of the Providence's Feast
It is celebrated on Sunday Agust15 in the rural quarter called "St. Nicola", over the montains. On the eve of the feast is celebrated the hot bread festival, between popular songs and dances. At seventeen o'clock takes place the procession. As a sing of plenty and omen of a heavy crop the course is strewn with corn. Charateristic is the basket ? lunch in the shadow of the trees and nearby the church you can rest at a fresh and clear spring. The cottages that offer ospitality to friends and acquaintances, are changed in small inn, an ideal place to tast excellent heat puts into an oven.

Monsignor Antonio Franco's Commemoration
Monsignor Antonio Franco, neapolitan noble, named prelato of Santa Lucia del Mela and chaplain?major of the king dom, entered in the lucien see on may 18TH of 1617. He was a virtuous and extraordinary man, died not yet forty ? two years old on september 2ND of 1626. Every year, just on september 2ND , a big crowd throug into the Cathedral ever since early morning. The Bishop officiates at Higt Mass to get the praise of the "Servant of God' (peoplehas always called "Blissful", but he isn't yet so considered by the church) whose the process of beafication is in progress. The believers succeed each other to the urn which keeps his mortal remains in good condition.

Child Mary’s Feast
On September 8TH, the day of our lady's nativity, in a rural small church a little mary's statue is carried in procession. An other artistic al wax little Madonna can be admired kept in a glass case.

S. Lucia's feast
On December 13TH ever since early morning a big crowd of believers fill the Cathedral honouring the Saint protectress of eyes. In our country there is an ancient devotion of nine hundred years, when in 1094 count Ruggero dedicated the church to the Saint. And exactely in the wonderful Cathedral the saint is symbolieed variously. We can find a wonderful marble statue over the altar of the chapel at the end of the church, a fresco on the wall of the left lateral aisle while she is carried off by oxen on the place of martyrdom into another in the middle of the triumphal arch; into the lunette of the marble portal; on the eighteenth ? century red velvet cloth, the back of senato. Soon, after the higt mass celebrated by the bishop, at about 11:30, the procession begins. The highest religious and civil authorities take part in it, with a lot of people (many of them bare footed) having church candles there is also a fair in cathedral square the same day.

Christmas Feast
You can live Christmas in Santa Lucia del Mela with the simplicity and gennuinity of good traditions. Tipical are the "cone", niches with "Bambinello" placed into different zones of the town adorned with citrus fruit and illuminations decoransly. Every evening, near the niches, a group of musicians perforns traditional Christamas sing ? song. You can visit numerous mangers prepared with great accuracy, and take part in processions of living manger through the medieval lanes that wind all around the Cathedral and on Christmas night you can warm yourself by the baufire in the Square wraiting for the procession of Jesus.

The buttermilk curd festival
In April or May it hay became a custom. In the central Square "The Unknown Warrior" the breeders conforming to the traditional system sempolously, prepaire the buttermilk curd into the steaming cauldrous. The tosting follow with a very good home-made bread. Numerous foreigners seize the opportunity to taste goodness and genuinity of the local cheese.