Saint Joseph Festival (Patron Saint)

The patronal feast of Santa Maria di Licodia

The Saint Joseph Festival is the main event in Santa Maria di Licodia, an Etna village in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily. Celebrated continuously since 1876, it takes place every year on the last Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of August, bringing the entire community together around the patron's wooden statue, kept in the Mother Church. For three days, the historic center transforms into a tapestry of faith, sounds, and colors, with traditional blue and ochre flags adorning streets and balconies.

The origins: Cardinal Dusmet and the August celebrations

The roots of the cult are ancient, but the tradition in its current form dates back to 1876, when Cardinal Giuseppe Benedetto Dusmet moved the festivities to August, a month that commemorates the village's founding and the achievement of municipal autonomy. Since then, the summer festival has become the quintessential identity event, drawing back many emigrants who return to the village to meet their patron saint.

The 'Svelata' and the 18th-century 'Vara'

On Saturday evening, after the confraternity procession, the most anticipated rite takes place: 'a sbarrata di San Giuseppi', the 'Svelata'. The statue is slowly raised by a winch behind the altar, greeted by shouts of 'Viva San Giuseppe', band music, and fireworks. On Sunday, the precious 18th-century fercolo, the 'Vara', is brought to the high altar: after the 'vestizione' (dressing), where devotees place gifts on the statue, the mastru di vara rings the bell to start the procession, amidst applause, the throwing of colorful flyers (zaareddi), and musket fire.

The 'cchianata de Caseddi race

The highlight and most spectacular moment is the race up the steep 'cchianata de Caseddi': the bearers tackle the incline in three stages with great physical effort, amidst the cheering and emotion of the crowd. On Monday, the festival continues with cannon fire at dawn and a long evening procession that traverses almost all the town's districts, featuring the evocative 'Calata dell'Angelo' and stops for offerings of bread, fruit, and game.

The auction of votive offerings and fireworks

A deeply felt tradition is the auction of votive offerings in Piazza Umberto I: gifts offered by devotees along the route are auctioned off, with proceeds supporting the festival's expenses. The day concludes with a grand fireworks display late at night, before the statue returns to the church. Alongside religious rites, there are secular moments with the brass band, illuminations, and a festive atmosphere that enlivens the village's streets and squares.

A heritage of faith and Etna identity

The Saint Joseph Festival in Santa Maria di Licodia is much more than a religious celebration: it is the beating heart of the town's identity, an intangible heritage that weaves together popular devotion, gestures passed down through generations, and a sense of belonging. For those visiting the slopes of Mount Etna at the end of summer, it is an authentic opportunity to immerse themselves in the most vibrant traditions of inland Sicily.