A Look at Some Popular Sicilian Festivals

Image via Wikipedia

By James Iozia

Sicilian festivals are important to the people of Sicily. While many revolve around religious holidays, carnivals are considered secular events. They are traditionally held in the week preceding the beginning of Lent. Originally the festivals were intended to use up fresh food, since Lent is a time of prayer and fasting.
Some of the more famous carnivals are held in the communes of Sciacca, Acireale and Termini Imerese. Those participating in these Sicilian festivals typically wear masks. While the masks worn in Italian carnivals are usually like those of Pulcinella or Brighella, traditional Sicilian masks are more characteristic of Jardinara or Varca, especially in the province of Palermo.

I Love Italian Travel - Sicily Carnevale Season

Image via Wikipedia
Acireale, a city of about 50 thousand, is about fifty miles (eighty kilometers) north of Siracusa on the eastern coastline facing the Ionian Sea. This coast is called the Riviera dei Cilopi; according to Homer's Odyssey it was created when the blinded Cyclops Polyphemus flung boulders at the retreating Ulysses, creating spectacular rock pillars known as faraglioni. This great site hosts what is widely regarded as Sicily's finest Carnevale, one of the few that can compete with Venice's world-class offering.