SS. Crocifisso Festival (May Fair)

A centuries-old fair in the heart of Sicily's Arbëreshë community

The SS. Crocifisso Festival, commonly known as the May Fair, is the most anticipated event of the year in Mezzojuso, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo (Sicily) famous for its Arbëreshë (Italo-Albanian) identity. The fair traces its roots back to 1844, when King Ferdinand II of Bourbon officially authorized it as a free fair via a decree dated August 23rd. Since then, the celebration has been renewed every year on the third Sunday of May, blending religious devotion, a traditional market, and a heritage of rites passed down through generations.

The Greek-Byzantine rite

Two liturgical traditions coexist in Mezzojuso: the Latin and the Greek-Byzantine, a legacy of the Albanian exiles who arrived in Sicily in the 15th century. The festival takes place at the Church of the SS. Crocifisso, which follows the Greek-Byzantine rite, where a solemn liturgy according to the Eastern rite is celebrated on the morning of the third Sunday. It is one of the few places in Italy where a visitor can witness a Byzantine celebration integrated into a Sicilian folk festival.

Festival rites

The festivities begin on the second Sunday of May with the appizzatina 'ru Paliu: at noon, the Palio—a red flag featuring a black double-headed eagle, the symbol of the Albanian community—is hoisted onto the bell tower. The third Sunday is the heart of the festival:

• 'A cunnutta: a parade of large sacred candles and offerings (altar linens, ex-votos) belonging to the Confraternity.
• The mule procession: a dozen mules adorned with gold-embroidered saddlecloths and saddlebags, laden with grain harvested during the year and offered to the Crucifix.
• The Vara procession: in the evening, the majestic golden canopy—crafted in 1648—is carried in procession through the town center. Inside, it holds a precious silver crucifix with a wooden core dating back to the 15th century.

The octave and the closing of the Vara

After the procession, the Vara remains exposed for the veneration of the faithful for the eight days of the octave, during which a preacher delivers a homily every evening. The octave concludes the following Sunday with a procession through the secondary streets of the town, while the following Monday, the festival ends with 'a chiusura 'ra Vara, a highly attended religious ceremony.

Between faith, market, and identity

Alongside its religious dimension, the May Fair retains its character as an ancient commercial market: stalls, local products, and handicrafts enliven the streets of Mezzojuso, attracting visitors from across the Palermo area. Participating in the festival means immersing yourself in one of the most authentic expressions of inland Sicily, where Arbëreshë culture continues to live on through language, rites, and popular devotion.