L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2026 L'Italo-Americano E very year, after January 6, Ital- ians like to say t h a t E p i p h a n y "takes all the hol- i d a y s a w a y . " I n r e a l i t y , i t doesn't. It only takes a few days before the calendar fills up again with new events and new observances. This year, among the first was January 29, when Catania marked the 9 0 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y o f t h e return of the relics of Saint Agatha , the city's patron saint, from Constantinople. The faithful retraced a pen- itential pilgrimage, starting at the church of Sant'Agata la Vetere, the city's first cathe- dral, and continuing through the places connected to her martyrdom. The route includ- e d s t o p s a t t h e S h r i n e o f Sant'Agata al Carcere and at S a n t ' A g a t a a l l a F o r n a c e , before ending at the Cathe- dral for a penitential liturgy celebrated by the Archbishop. The celebrations also extend to Librino, one of the city's most challenged neighbor- hoods, where the eleven can- delore (large devotional can- dle structures) appear for the inauguration of the Roseto, a rose garden dedicated to the patron saint and promoted by the Foundation of Patron Antonio Presti. While Catania's festivities for Saint Agatha continue into early February, not far from the city, Acireale shifts the mood entirely. From Jan- uary 31 to February 17, the t o w n h o s t s w h a t i s o f t e n described as Sicily's most s p e c t a c u l a r C a r n e v a l e . Streets in the historic center turn into an open-air stage: a l l e g o r i c a l f l o a t s r o l l b y flower-covered floats follow, m a s k e d g r o u p s m o v e t o music that spills through the a l l e y s , a n d l i g h t d i s p l a y s frame the steady "snowfall" of multi-colored confetti that blankets the city. Between laughter and the sharper edge of satire, the floats mix allegory with cur- rent events. They are giant, c a r e f u l l y e n g i n e e r e d machines, works of skilled artisans who build moving papier-mâché figures and sto- rylines that often take on con- temporary themes, some- t i m e s p r o v o c a t i v e o n e s : politics, culture, social habits, public life, or even headline news. At Carnevale, mockery, satire, and irony are not only accepted, but they are also part of the event's very pur- pose. And in Acireale, the party d o e s n ' t s t o p t h e r e . T h e town's outgoing character is not satisfied with "classic" Carnevale alone. There is also Lavica, a winter bac- c h a n a l t h a t c h a n n e l s t h e s t r e n g t h a n d e n e r g y o f Mount Etna – 'a muntagna, as locals affectionately call it – through lights and music. In spring comes the Festa dei Fiori (Flower Festival), w i t h i t s m a s c o t Z a g a r a (orange blossom) dressed in blooms and Mediterranean scents, as the city becomes a m o v i n g g a r d e n t h a n k s t o parades of flower floats. Then, in summer, Ionica brings a "Summer Carnival," shaped by sea breezes and sun, blending spectacle, fun, and local flavors. In other words, in Acireale the carni- val spirit is present year- round, in different forms and seasons, but driven by one consistent impulse: to cele- brate, and to be carried along by the art, energy, and sense of wonder that this festival can still create. Acireale's Carnevale has deep roots. Its history dates back to the sixteenth century, and the earliest known docu- ment confirming its existence is from 1594. Another record, from 1612, describes the cus- tom of throwing oranges and lemons during the festivities, a tradition that today is more closely associated with the Carnival of Ivrea, in the Met- ropolitan City of Turin. Sicilian Carnevale also has its own traditional charac- ters. One of the best known is l'Abbatuzzu, also called Pueta minutizzu ("little abbot," "small poet"), typical- ly depicted with a large book from which he pretends to draw satirical verses that he recites, aimed at nobles and members of the clergy. The year 1693 brought a devastating earthquake that interrupted celebrations, but the festival returned in the e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y . T h a t period saw the rise of the Baruni, caricature masks designed to ridicule the aris- t o c r a c y , a n d t h e M a n t i , e l a b o r a t e c o s t u m e s t h a t ensured anonymity for the wearer. A n o t h e r c h a n g e c a m e between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with the cassariate, the nobles' car- riages that paraded through Acireale while their owners threw sweets to the crowd, made up largely of children following the procession. The decisive change arrived in 1880, when the first papier- mâché floats appeared in this town in the province of Cata- nia. Carnevale became "insti- tutional" in 1929, and the fol- lowing year, 1930, decorated c a r s c o v e r e d i n f l o w e r s paraded through the streets – early forerunners of today's flower floats. The miniature l i l l i p u t f l o a t s a r r i v e d around the 1950s and 1960s and were driven by children. So, while Catania cele- b r a t e s S a i n t A g a t h a a n d A c i r e a l e c e l e b r a t e s Carnevale, Agrigento, very different in tone, welcomes the Almond Blossom Fes- tival once again. Its defining note, from February 7 to 15, will be a message of peace and fraternity. International and pacifist in spirit, the fes- tival brings its symbols of peace – music, costumes, dance, and tradition – into the Valley of the Temples, which becomes an extraordi- n a r y s t a g e , a l o n g s i d e t h e city's streets, squares, and t h e a t e r s t h r o u g h o u t t h e event. A setting like no other is created not only by the tem- ples but by the almond trees themselves, which bloom early, anticipating spring. Their white, fragrant blos- soms surround and accom- pany the visiting groups and the public. As every year, it is a celebration built around peace, fraternity, and harmo- ny, grounded in the idea of unity among the world's peo- ples. Founded in 1934 as a local agricultural and cultural fes- tival, it gradually developed a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l s c o p e . Thanks to the early bloom, it n a t u r a l l y l e n d s i t s e l f t o themes of renewal and hope, aspirations shared across cul- tures. In recent years, the program has included the International Folklore Festival, the Friendship Torchlight Procession, a n d t h e F e s t i v a l o f t h e Children of the World, culminating with a ceremony in the Valley of the Temples. At sunset on the 10th, the Tripod of Friendship is lit i n f r o n t o f t h e T e m p l e o f Concordia, and the Golden Temple Award, one of the most prestigious recognitions on the global folklore scene, is presented to its winner. TERESA DI FRESCO Celebrations for Saint Agatha in Catania (Photo: Antonello Marangi/Shutterstock) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS C a t a n i a , A g r i g e n t o , A c i r e a l e : t h r e e places, three different celebrations

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