Laurel Festival

A tradition lost in time

The Laurel Festival, which locals call «u ddauru», is one of the oldest and most original celebrations in the Agrò valley, in the province of Messina. It takes place every year on Easter Monday, the day after the Resurrection of Christ, in the heart of the medieval village of Forza d'Agrò, one of the most characteristic centers of the Sicilian Ionian coast, also famous for being a film and television set.

The origins of the festival are rooted in the era of the Archimandritate: in ancient times, the people of Forza d'Agrò would go in procession to collect the Sacred Oils, transporting them from the Temple of Saints Peter and Paul of Agrò to the small church of Saint Michael the Archangel. As the village developed, the route changed, but the religious significance has remained unchanged for centuries.

The laurel banners

The heart of the event is the laurel banners: large compositions made with laurel leaves, flowers, and sacred-themed images arranged on cane or wooden structures. They are built by the village youth, organized into groups that compete to win the prize for the most beautiful banner. The laurel, an evergreen plant, symbolizes the victory of Christ over Death and the triumph of life.

The procession and the Sacred Oils

On the day of the festival, the banners are gathered in the square in front of the Church of the Holy Trinity, numbered, and subjected to the vote of a jury composed of confreres. Once the voting is concluded, the banners, the confraternity, the musical band, and the faithful parade through the streets of the village. Under the Durazzesco Arch, the confreres distribute the cuddure as a sign of hospitality; halfway through the route, in Piazza Sant'Antonio, the Archpriest blesses the laurel branches and the Sacred Oils, symbols of redemption from sin. The festival concludes at the Cathedral of the Annunciation with a solemn Holy Mass and the final awards ceremony.

The cuddure, a pastry of sharing

The cuddura cu l'ova is the typical Easter pastry of the Sicilian tradition, characterized by the presence of eggs braided into the dough. Distributed throughout the celebration, it represents prosperity, charity, and hospitality, replicating the gesture of Abraham's welcome. By custom, the blessed cuddure are hung in homes as protection against thunderstorms.

Folklore and the village identity

Alongside the religious dimension, the day comes alive with craft markets, handmade creations, and tastings of cuddura cu l'ova. The Laurel Festival is today an identity-defining event that draws residents, returning emigrants, and visitors to Forza d'Agrò, safeguarding an intangible heritage that binds the community to its history and the province of Messina, in Sicily.