Saint Blaise Patronal Feast

A festival that gives the town its name

In San Biagio Platani, a small town in the Agrigento hinterland of Sicily, the Saint Blaise Feast is no ordinary event: it is the celebration of the patron saint who gives the town its name. Every year, around February 3rd, the community gathers around its protector in a celebration that weaves together popular faith, music, and culinary traditions passed down through generations.

Saint Blaise, protector of the throat

Saint Blaise, a bishop and martyr born in Sebaste, Armenia, is venerated throughout Italy as the protector of the throat. According to tradition, his intercession protects against throat ailments: for this reason, on the day of the feast, the rite of the blessing of the throat is renewed, during which the priest touches the throats of the faithful with two crossed candles, invoking the saint's protection in memory of the miracle by which Blaise is said to have saved a child who was choking on a fish bone.

The festival program

Festivities in honor of the patron saint begin on the evening of February 1st with an evocative torchlight procession through the streets of the center. Over the following two days, the brass band parades through the town, accompanying the collection of offerings for the festival. The celebration reaches its peak on February 3rd with the solemn High Mass in the church dedicated to the saint.

Cudduredda, the traditional pastry

A moment eagerly awaited by young and old alike is the distribution of cudduredda (or cuddureddi), small ring-shaped baked dough pastries that are blessed on Saint Blaise's day during the throat blessing rite. These traditional ring-shaped sweets, historically linked to the February 3rd feast, are recognized as traditional agri-food products of the Sicilian Region.

A community in celebration

More than just a tourist attraction, the Saint Blaise Feast is a moment of deep collective participation for the inhabitants of San Biagio Platani, where religious devotion merges with the warmth of the community. As the mayor noted in his message for the feast, Saint Blaise reminds us of the importance of care, solidarity, and prayer. The town is also known for its famous Easter Arches, but it is during its February patronal feast that it rediscovers its deepest roots every year.