The Saint of the light
On the afternoon of the 12th of December, which is the eve of the feast of Santa Lucia, the traditional fair is held in the streets of the town centre (via Cavour) and lasts the whole night and the following day. All the illuminations placed in front of the church of Santa Lucia together with the Christmas lights of the balconies seem to be in religious harmony with the meaning of the light that the Martyr represents.
Tradition and devotion
The feast is preceded by a triduum of prayers and masses. At the fair there are a lot of stalls, typically selling Christmas decorations and figurines for nativity scenes made from papier-mâché, chalk or clay by local craftsmen. In the past, it was also the lovers’ fair and children’s fair with many toys and children were willing to wake up early and go to the first mass at five o’clock in the morning in order to obtain the toy they wanted, while young lovers bought “u coccherìdde” (a little coloured terracotta bowl) to give to their fiancées and future mother-in-laws. Despite the consumer aspect of today’s fair, the feast has kept its original dimension with religious moments like the procession on the 13th of December thanks to the congregation of Santa Lucia.
