L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS k e b a b - l i k e s k e w e r s o f pancetta wrapped around spring onion stalks, known as le cipollate make for a s a v o r y s n a c k t o o f f s e t the dolci to come. D r i e d f r u i t s a n d n u t s , while ever-popular in the Sicilian sweet-making tradi- tion, take center stage during the festivities. Dates are often stuffed with marzipan, and the smell of a special nougat, or torrone di Sant'Aga- ta perfumes the air, with its decadent mix of almonds, pistachios, and sesame seeds wrapped with honey, while another version with pasta reale (almond paste), can- died citrus peel and dried f r u i t s e n t i c e s t h o s e w i t h sugar-cravings. I crispeddi or crispelle di riso o di pane (rice or semoli- na, water, and yeast fritters) are Catania's version of zep- pole, Carnival street fritters. The shape determines the filling of these deep-fried Domenico. Meanwhile, devo- tees and tourists take to the streets, visiting food vendors peddling traditional snacks and street fare in honor of Catania's patron saint. The iconic minne di Sant'Aga- ta are ubiquitous, each one essentially a small cassata, or cassatella, the marzipan topping hiding the sponge cake within that's topped with a ricotta and candied orange peel and chocolate chip filling. Saint Agatha is celebrated not only with cake but with portable savory foods as well. While arancini are eaten year-round, they are popular during this event, as are la c a l i a a n d l a s i m e n z a ( t o a s t e d c h i c k p e a s a n d pumpkin seeds). Horse meat is a common southern Italian and Sicilian street food, and is no less the case during these festivities when it's served in a panino or in the form of meatballs. Grilled treats: the straight, length- wise fritters are recognizable for their anchovy filling, and the round ones are stuffed with ricotta. One last iconic treat to keep an eye out for are le olivette, green marzipan shaped to resemble olives a n d c o a t e d i n g r a n u l a t e d sugar. Although there are s e v e r a l s t o r i e s u s e d t o explain the candy, one is that A g a t h a w a s a t o n e p o i n t saved by an olive tree that a p p e a r e d w h e n s h e w a s being chased by Quinziano's henchmen; the sweet was thus made to bear a resem- blance to the fruit that kept her safe. The stories behind Saint Agatha's turn to sainthood might turn one's stomach, but the chance to see and partake of the local rituals and culinary traditions held i n h e r h o n o r m a k e s f o r a unique way to better under- stand Sicilian culture. and other tourists make their way through town. Day one begins with Agatha's remains being transported in an elab- orate ferculum, an embell- ished silver carriage, during t h e p r o c e s s i o n o f t h e Candelore. Eleven cande- lore, or large golden sculp- tures, are used to make a tra- ditional offering of the wax. That night, the sky is lit up with fireworks to cap off the events of the day. The next day begins with Aurora's Mass, followed by another procession of locals dressed in white and black h e a d s c a r v e s , w h o w a v e handkerchiefs and cry out "Tutti devoti tutti, cittadini, viva Sant'Agata!" (Roughly translated as: "We all devot- ed citizens, long live Saint Agatha!") Agatha's remains are hon- ored and carried throughout the town in processions both days until returning to the c a t h e d r a l i n P i a z z a S a n Y o u m a y k n o w h e r f r o m t h e " s c a n d a l o u s " Sicilian dessert, or at least have s e e n i t i n p h o t o s . S m a l l mounds, covered in a layer of sugary, white marzipan and adorned with a candied cher- ry on top. It's also popular in iconic religious imagery, with a painting revealing the saint who is holding a pair of cakes o n a p l a t e . S o m e s a y these mini cassate resem- ble Etna in the winter time, the cherry representing lava f l o w , b u t s i d e b y s i d e , l e minne or i minnuzzi actually r e p r e s e n t t h e b r e a s t s of Saint Agatha and how she suffered for her faith — and they are just one of the many traditions that domi- nate the Festival of Saint Agatha, celebrated every year in Catania in early February. The sweet dessert is an h o m a g e t o t h e w o m a n - turned-saint, who suffered through gruesome tragedy because she refused to turn against her religious devo- tion. Legend has it that dur- ing the 3rd century, Agatha, a beautiful young woman from Catania, had already devoted her life to God when Governor Quinziano decided h e w a n t e d h e r t o b e h i s bride. Upon her refusal, she was tortured, her breasts were sliced off, and she was m u r d e r e d . S h e q u i c k l y became a martyr, and just a year after she died in 252 AD when Mount Etna erupted, many attributed the staunch in the lava flow to Agatha's veil, that which had been p r e s e r v e d a n d c a r r i e d around town. This, in addi- tion to her resilience and maintenance of her virginity and purity despite the torture she had been subjected to, helped usher her into saint- hood. The annual festival now draws nearly one million vis- itors and is one of the largest i n t h e C a t h o l i c r e l i g i o n , a l o n g s i d e H o l y W e e k i n Seville, Spain, and the Cor- pus Christi festival in Cusco, Peru. From February 3rd to the 5 t h , t h e d a y o f A g a t h a ' s death, Catania honors the saint and brims to life with religious processions and the aroma of various street foods as locals, religious visitors, JESSICA S. LEVY Celebrations for Saint Agatha in Catania (Photo: Giuseppe Lombardo/Dreamstime) T h e F e s t i v a l o f S a i n t A g a t h a : Catania's iconic Carnival tradition

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