Lucia of Syracuse, known as Saint Lucia, was a Christian martyr of the early 4th century during the great persecution wanted by the emperor Diocletian.
She is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, who honor her memory on 13 December. The feast of Saint Lucia takes place on 13 and 20 December in Syracuse, where the Saint was born.
December is a very popular celebration throughout Sicily, but it brings a large number of faithful to the city of Syracuse, including delegations of Syracusan emigrants from different parts of the world .
On 13 December, at 10.15am, the Solemn Pontifical is celebrated in the Cathedral. In the afternoon, at 3.30pm, the procession begins which starts from Piazza Duomo and arrives in the Church of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro around 10.30pm. A long "river" of faithful is created along the entire route of the procession. On December 20th, however, the procession begins at 4pm, starting from Piazza Santa Lucia, in Borgata. Upon arrival at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears.
Tradition regarding Lucian celebrations connects Syracuse with distant lands such as Sweden. Every year a Swedish Lucia was selected to participate in the Syracuse celebrations. A beautiful tradition which, however, has been lost in recent years.
Lucia performed many miracles, and therefore was raised to the honors of the altars. In reality, the miracle that made her best known and venerated was the one performed in her hometown, where a terrible famine raged in 1646.
On May 13, 1646, after many prayers to Saint Lucia asking for a miracle to escape a terrible famine, a voice announced the arrival at the port of a ship loaded with cereals.
In Sicily, wheat is the main ingredient of the Santa Lucia dessert, the Cuccìa . For lunch, however, legumes are widely consumed.
Bread and pasta are banned on the day of Saint Lucia, as previously mentioned, but instead include legumes. But giving up eating bread and pasta on this day should not make one think of it as a penance, since risottos, panelle, timbales and the inevitable arancine are the protagonists of a day full of gluttony .
Celebrate Saint Lucia with traditional products!
Prepare legume soups with our products!
Prepare homemade Panelle with our 100% Sicilian Organic Chickpea Flour! A very simple and Sicilian recipe!
