Buon Natale ........
Piazza IX Aprile, Taormina |
Taormina is a charming place to be at Christmas time, the
Corso Umberto is adorned with lights and there is a huge Christmas tree in
Piazza IX Aprile.
On Christmas Eve after dinner and present opening, everyone
heads to the Duomo where a huge bonfire is lit at 11pm, the tradition is that
the bonfire will keep the baby Jesus warm. The locals call Christmas Eve the Night
of Luminaria (Illumination).
Evening mass begins at midnight in the Duomo when the priest
carries baby Jesus down the cathedral aisle.
Duomo, Taormina |
On a clear Christmas day you will see Mount Etna’s snowy cap
sparkling in the winter Sicilian sun as if she has been dusted with icing sugar
especially for the festive season.
Christmas day morning you will hear the many church bells peel signifying the
beginning of Christmas mass.
Christmas lunch is usually meat and as expected in Sicily
sweets and desserts are of the most importance. The evening is usually spent playing
Sicilian card games like Scopa or Briscola with a set of Sicilian playing cards.
Corsi Umberto, Taormina |
Nativity scenes are
popular in Sicily particularly the custom of holding a ‘Presepe Vivente’ (Living Crib), whereby local people dress up as
Mary, Jesus, the Three Kings, angels and shepherds in a theatrical presentation
of the Christmas story.
We have a live
nativity scene every year in Giardini Naxos where you walk along a planned
route and watch men dressed in Coppola’s (traditional Sicilian flat caps) who reinact ploughing the earth and see women young and old dressed in scarves and shawls
hard at work scrubbing in a mock laundry, it is also a chance for the local actors to demonstrate traditional skills like baking, sewing, carpentry and stone masonry.
There are live
animals too which is always popular with children and eventually you are
rewarded at the end by seeing baby Jesus in his crib, always played by a lucky
local baby.
Bonfire outside the Duomo |
At White Almond
Private Sicily we would like to wish all our followers, clients, contacts and
friends a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
2014 has been an
amazing year for us, we have met many wonderful people and made new friends for
life.
We look forward to seeing you all in Sicily in 2015.
Buon Natale tutti
…………………………………
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