Saint Nicholas of Myra Patronal Feast

Squinzano's most cherished celebration

Every year, in early December, Squinzano pauses to celebrate its patron saint: Saint Nicholas of Myra, the bishop of Myra venerated as the protector of children and young brides—the very figure from whom the tradition of Santa Claus originated. In this town in northern Salento, in the province of Lecce, devotion to Saint Nicholas is rooted in centuries of tradition, making the patronal feast the most important identity-defining event of the year for the entire community.

Religious rites and traditions

The religious calendar begins days earlier with the ancient rite of dressing the Saint at the Church of San Giovanni and the preparatory novena. On the day of the feast, December 6th, the Mother Church hosts a solemn Eucharistic Celebration featuring the blessing of the Manna of Saint Nicholas and the children. One of the most anticipated moments is the symbolic presentation of the ring, cross, and keys of the city to the Saint, followed by a long procession through the town streets to Piazza San Nicola, accompanied by flag-wavers and concluding with the solemn kissing of the relic.

Civil festivities: music, lights, and flavors

• Artistic illuminations lighting up the historic center and Piazza Plebiscito;
• Myragiocando, a festival dedicated to children with games, street performers, circus workshops, and the arrival of Santa Claus;
• the Agora of Taste, featuring tastings of traditional Salento cuisine along the streets of the center;
• evening concerts in Piazza Plebiscito, showcasing both local Salento talent and national artists;
• the traditional Saint Nicholas Fair, held along Via Lecce and Via Brindisi, with stalls and artisanal products.

A century of the Circolo Pro Feste

The organizational heart of the festival is the Circolo Pro Feste San Nicola, an association with over a hundred years of history that, in collaboration with the Municipality of Squinzano and the parish, manages the religious and civil program every year. The festivities conclude on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, with a Eucharistic Celebration and the transfer of the statues back to the Church of San Giovanni, amidst the popular faith and sense of belonging that make Saint Nicholas the town's most beloved festival.