Feast of Santa Lucia in Belpasso

Feast of Santa Lucia in Belpasso

One of the renowned Sicilian popular and religious traditions is the feast of Saint Lucia. It is a mosaic of history, events, feelings and emotions that characterizes Belpasso, a rustic town located on the slopes of theEtna. The traditions, customs and legends of Saint Lucia will be reported below.

What events occur during the feast of Santa Lucia

The festivities in honor of the patron saint are anticipated by thirteen, or 13 days in which the faithful prepare for the celebrations with masses, prayers and characteristic markets made up of handicrafts, tasting products and displays of nativity scenes; on December 12 instead the so-called are exhibited Allegorical floats which, specially set up for the occasion by the districts of the town, with their lights and their exciting scenery, narrate the events relating to the life of the saint and her cult, made up of faith and devotion, in the patronized municipality. December 13th is the day of the feast, Saint Lucia is triumphantly brought out of the church and placed on the silver fercolo to then go around the main streets of the town. Finally the traditional ride that the faithful carry out along Via Roma, pulling the strings of the fercolo, from Piazza Umberto at the XIII crossroads, it allows the saint to return to the church.

The history of Santa Lucia

According to hagiography, Saint Lucia was born in Syracuse in 283 AD, persecuted and martyred during the empire of Diocletian. Already at an early age she took a vow of chastity, although she was betrothed to a pagan following the death of her father. With the deterioration of the mother's health Eutychia, he decided to take her to the tomb of the patron saint of Catania Sant'Agata in the hope that this could heal her. When her miracle happened, Lucia wanted to show her mother her firm decision to consecrate her virginity to Christ and dedicating her life to the sick and the needy, subsequently clashing with her suitor who denounced her as a Christian. In fact, in that period, ordinances issued by the emperor Diocletian on the persecution of Christians were in force. She died with a stab wound in 304 AD, after a heavy trial which also saw her accused of witchcraft.

When is Saint Lucia celebrated?

Urban Pope VIII he decided that every city and town should have a patron saint. Saint Lucia was entrusted for the protection of Belpasso since from the day her body was deposited in the catacombs which took her name from her, Lucia was immediately venerated as her saint and her tomb became a destination for pilgrimages.

Therefore, December 13 was chosen to venerate the Saint because according to Christian tradition it is the shortest day of the year, or with fewer hours of light. Furthermore, the word Lucia from the Latin Lux which means light is linked to this event.

Where Saint Lucia is celebrated

The celebrations in honor of the Saint take place in the town of Belpasso and begin on 12 December with the procession of the Saint's relics kept in precious eighteenth-century reliquaries which from Church of Sant'Antonio Abate are led to Mother Church. Subsequently the so-called "split", or the opening of the wagons, are set up in Piazza Duomo and Piazza Umberto. On December 13, the triumphal exit of the simulacrum of Santa Lucia from the church and the procession through the streets of the town takes place. The following day the Saint returns to the Church with the traditional race of the faithful in the last stretch of Via Roma which goes from the four corners of Piazza Umberto to the XIII crossroads.

What to do during the feast of Santa Lucia

Santa Lucia is a patronal feast typical of Sicilian traditions accompanied by religious events and celebrations and food and wine festivals. During the feast of Santa Lucia it is possible to admire the procession of the Simulacrum and Relics and the split of the Chariots accompanied by lights and scenographic effects. In the days of the Feast of the Patron Saint, the Santa Lucia Market: characteristic markets composed of handicrafts, tasting products and displays of nativity scenes. It is therefore possible to wander through the streets of the town to admire the folkloric and picturesque traditions and the typical Sicilian customs.

In which locality the event takes place: the roads to travel

Participating in the celebration of Santa Lucia in Belpasso is really simple since the town is connected, through a dense road network, with other Sicilian municipalities so it is easy to reach the place from any point. If you want to reach the place by car quickly and easily, you can take the motorway and take the exits closest to the center of Belpasso such as the Catania Centro exit (A19) and the Motta S.Anastasia exit (A19) which they are about 14 km from the centre. Coming from secondary extra-urban roads, the closest exits are the Catania San Giovanni Galermo RA 15 exit and the Gravina di Catania RA 15 exit which are approximately 9 km from the centre. To get to Belpasso you can take the train with destination or stop at Europa station or
Catania Central Station, which are about 14 km from Belpasso. At the station you can take advantage of the countless bus lines to get to your destination. Finally, for those traveling by plane from both Italy and abroad, it is possible to land at the closest airport in Belpasso, which is the most important Sicilian airport: Catania Fontanarossa Airport, which is about 15 km from Belpasso.
If you want to reach the place by car, there are many parking areas in the town, both in the center of the town and in the more peripheral areas and it is still easy to get around the town and reach the party place on foot.