Ciao e benvenuto a tutti! Welcome back to the fourth entry of Il Passionato. Once again, today’s upload will focus on food! No, just kidding, that would be more sickening to you than a bowl of undercooked pasta. In reality, my focus is a religious feast that will certainly satiate you hunger to learn about Italian culture. Let’s take a trip to my family’s hometown of Castel di Lucio, Sicily. Yesterday, October 5th, marked the feast day of the town’s patron saint, San Placido. Now I am sure to many of you, what I just wrote sounds like something from a foreign language, and let me assure you, it is totally Italian. Allow me to explain:
As you may be aware, many small Italian towns are predominantly catholic, and Castel di Lucio is no exception. What you may not be aware of, however, is that many these towns select a patron saint, who they honor. Please do not get patron confused with Patron Tequila; I assure you the two are very different. Rather, a patron saint is essentially a “representative” who connects the town members to God himself. For today’s blog, I will focus on Castel di Lucio. A faithful monk and martyr, San Placido reflects the religious values of the citizens of the town. For this reason, the community gathers to honor the saint not once, but twice a year. These celebrations are unlike anything you have seen before, so sit tight and imagine you are there!
To honor San Placido, the townspeople participate in a large procession—a religious parade. On August 20th every year, the entire town, along with returning families living in other parts of Italy, follow a large float carrying a statue of San Placido. And if this wasn’t enough, they do it yet again on October 5th for the saint’s feast day (a feast is the church’s version of a birthday). What amazes me the most, however, is that the entire community sacrifices something for the procession. Whether it be a strong man carrying the float, a musician playing in the band, or a woman baking dozens of cookies for the walkers, everyone contributes. I personally find it nice that you can do whatever floats your boat.
Ok, enough with the cheesy jokes; let’s get back to the blog. On the day of the procession, everyone attends a catholic mass, in which the statue is raised up by a few angels. Afterwards, families gather and prepare for the excitement of the evening. Later, the procession itself starts. The float is carried out of the church, and a group of sixteen men lug it around town on their shoulders. Accompanied by the music of the band, the carriers travel at slow walking speeds and swift near-running speeds. Yet the most exciting part is the dance, in which the float bearers align in the town square and run to mimic a dancing motion. You must give them props for this, as the float weighs over 2,000 pounds (and is uncomfortable to hold). Overall, this tradition is truly remarkable and symbolizes the spirit of the town. And as much as I would love to talk about it all day, I shall process no more. Ci vediamo presto!
If you are interested, here is a link to a video of parts of the August 2022 procession. There is a dance at 11:00!