Red for Saints, Santas & Sinners

December 17, 2011

Bright red, a rosso the color of Rudolph’s nose, is the leitmotif of the season here in Southeast Sicily.

Political street theater in Catania, Sicily, copyright Jann Huizenga

Political street theater in Catania on December 16, 2011

Political street theater in Catania, copyright Jann Huizenga

Ms. Santa was handing out "gifts" of scrolled paper that read "Merry Christmas. Monti's government is gifting you a cut in your pension." (A better kind of protest than throwing molotov cocktails, as in Greece, don't you think?)

Festival of Santa Lucia, Siracusa, Sicily, copyright Jann Huizenga

Powdered wig, rider and horse at Siracusa's Festival of Santa Lucia, December 13

Santa Lucia, martyred patron saint of Siracusa, copyright Jann Huizenga

Santa Lucia, martyred patron saint of Siracusa, December 13

Band Members at the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Scicli, Sicily, Dec 8, 2011

The band at the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Scicli, December 8

Sicilian Man in Red Tie, Scicli, Sicily, copyright Jann Huizenga

Onlooker at Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Scicli, December 8

Altar Boy at Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Ragusa Ibla, Sicily, copyright Jann Huizenga

Altar boy at Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Ragusa Ibla, December 7

Sicilian Woman in Red Christmas Shawl, copyright Jann Huizenga

Woman going to mass in Modica

Women's Red-Soled Shoes in Sicily, copyright Jann Huizenga

Mass-going woman's shoes

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To learn more about Monti’s austerity package for Italy, click here.

To learn more about Santa Lucia, click here.

 

The Virgin Sallies Forth

December 8, 2011

Christmas season starts here with a bang! Literally.

Firecrackers boomed loud enough to make your heart disintegrate and drums beat wildly as the Immaculate Virgin Mary sallied forth from churches all over Sicily today (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) and took her annual spin around town.

Mary came out after dark in my village, Ragusa Ibla, so I drove to Scicli where she made an appearance earlier in the day while it was still light enough to photograph.

The priest sang Ave Maria into his mike while onlookers made the sign of the cross and wiped tears from their eyes. Notes flew from tubas and trombones.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Scicli, Sicily, December 8, copyright Jann Huizenga

Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Scicli, Sicily, December 8, copyright Jann Huizenga

Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Scicli, Sicily on December 8, copyright Jann Huizenga

If you’re thinking of making a trip to Sicily sometime in the future, consider the Christmas season. The weather’s pretty nice and the traditions are rich. There’s spirituality in the air rather than commercialism. Check out Sicilia&Folklore for some wonderful photos of Sicilian pageants, and for a great list–in Italian–of upcoming celebrations (prossimi eventi on the right-hand side of the blog).

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