La Festa di li Schietti in Terrasini, near Palermo

April 4, 2010
9:00 am	to	11:00 pm

A very popular celebration takes place in Terrasini (near Palermo) on Easter Day every year. It is called “La Festa di li Schietti” which means the celebration of the unmarried/singles. The main event of the “festa” is the tree-raising contest. The participants either single or married, must lift up an orange tree of more than 100 lbs. (about 50 Kg) and as tall as possible. It is not an easy task, in fact it takes strength and balance ability.

This tradition has very ancient origins, but  it has been celebrated only since 1966. The event actually starts the day before, with the cutting of the best orange tree in the area and its decorating with ribbons and little bell-like ornaments. The day goes on with a folklorist picnic to which everyone is welcomed with some real treats: grilled sardines, sausage, lamb, wine, music, dancing and much more.

On Easter morning the tree is taken around the town and young men raise it below their fiance’s balcony to give a demonstration of their strength. In the afternoon the contest takes place. The music band plays to encourage the participants to resist as long as possible. The person, either single or married, that keeps the tree up for the longest time, is the winner. The entertainment goes on until late at night with music concerts in the beautiful illuminated square of Terrasini and spectacular fireworks.

By Maria Lina Bommarito

Slideshow

Map

The Cous Cous Festival in San Vito Lo Capo (Annual Event)

September 21, 2010 5:00 pm

to

September 26, 2010 5:00 pm

The ancient fishing village of San Vito Lo Capo, located between the Gulf of Castellammare and the city of Trapani on the northern coast of Sicily, hosts an annual Cous Cous Festival each September. The festival is going to take place from  September 21 through 26.

Dedicated to exploring the culinary and cultural aspects of the tasty Mediterranean dish, the festival celebrates the cultural legacy of the Arabic peoples who ruled Sicily for more than 150 years. Cous cous originally arrived in Sicily with the Arabs from Morocco and other areas of Northern Africa who landed on the island in 827. By 903 they ruled all of Sicily and would continue to do so until the Normans began their conquest of the island in 1060. Despite the change in rulers the cultural and culinary stamp of Arabic culture would remain.

Cous Cous

Cous Cous is a food from Morocco of Berber origin. It consists of spherical granules which are made by rolling and shaping moistened semolina wheat and then coating them with finely ground wheat flour. Traditional couscous requires considerable preparation time and is usually steamed (Wikipedia.org). Cous cous is a communal meal, that comes served from a large round platter. Another variety of cous cous, Israeli cous cous, or by its Arabic name, maftoul, is larger–almost pearl-size–nuttier-tasting than its familiar Moroccan counterpart.

The Festival

San Vito Lo Capo’s Cous Cous Festival’s principal event is a cous cous cook-off with the best cous cous Chefs from Israel, Morocco, Egypt, France, Algeria, Tunisia and Italy participating to determine who indeed is the cappo of cous cous (the best chef) in the Mediterranean.

The festival also includes four evenings of music, featuring free performances by Sicilian and African World Music artists Sudd MM-Anita Vitale, Roy Paci & Aretuska , Dam, Khaled, Agricantus, and Sasao Meravigliao in the Piazza Santuario in the heart of the ancient town.

Source: www.couscousfest.it

Map

The Garibaldi Tall Ships Regatta 2010

April 11, 2010 11:00 am

to

April 18, 2010 11:00 am

The Garibaldi Tall Ships Regatta 2010 takes place from April 11 to 19. The main protagonists of the event are the Tall Ships, the amazing “vessels with tall masts”, owned by the most important international Maritime Training Schools, navies, charities and organizations, which will be berthed in the host ports of Genova (April 8 to 11) and Trapani (April 16 to 19). The Tall Ships will be available for visits on board and will “entertain” the two cities with a variety of events and additional activities.

The event is promoted by Sail Training International (STI) and organized in our Country by Sail Training Association-Italia, a non-profit association founded in 1996 by the Italian Navy and the Italian Yacht Club.

Watch video (2:02 min)

Easter in Sicily

March 29, 2010 5:00 pm

to

April 4, 2010 10:00 pm

Sicily is the richest Italian region in terms of festival, events and folk customs connected to the Holy Week. Among the most evocative and renowned religious manifestations of devotion are the mysteries of Trapani. Many other can be found between the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains, Palermo and Ragusa, making Easter time one of the most characteristic
periods of the year.

Copyrights - DiCasaInSicilia

The union between sacred and secular is one of the most meaningful characteristics of Sicilian culture and Easter is undoubtedly one of the religious celebration that most accentuates this dualism. All over the island, in large towns and tiny villages alike, processions weave their way through narrow streets and squares: saints’ statues carried on the shoulders by those devoted become the main attraction, surrounded by lights, stalls with meat, fruit and sweets, in a mix of mysticism and religiosity. The Spanish and Jesuit inheritance of religious festivals has a long tradition in the ancestral pagan traditions that used to mark the arrival of the Spring, now incorporated into the religious festivities.

The mysteries in Trapani on Good Friday is undoubtedly one of the most ancient and evocative celebrations of the week preceding Easter. This feast, in which the townsmen carry statues through the streets, has Spanish origins and has been taking place for over 400 years. Each statue is made out of wood by the best Trapani’s artisans. One by one the statues represent the stations of the cross, and thousands of Sicilians line the streets awaiting the arrival of the Virgin Mary in search of her son. The mysteries tradition is not only celebrated in Trapani, but also in the close medieval village of Erice and in Marsala, where instead of the wooden statues there is a wonderful representation of the stations of the cross. These processions have kept intact the theatrical aspect of the performance as it was in Medieval time. There are many interesting events not to miss if you’re visiting Sicily during  Easter time and want to taste the atmosphere of age-old traditions.

For more information to visit Sicily during Easter or other times, please visit www.dicasainsicilia.com

DiCasaInSicilia is the perfect partner for those who want to experience an unforgettable holiday in Sicily, with a wide selection of charming accommodations in or in the direct vicinity of the old town centers where some of the most beautiful Holy Week processions of the island take place.

Siracusa is home to the Greek tragedy from May 8 through June 20, 2010

May 8, 2010 4:00 pm

to

June 20, 2010 4:00 pm

The Greek Theater in Syracuse (Sicily), UNESCO World Heritage Site, will stage the classic productions of Aiace by Sophocles and Phaedra by Euripides from May 8 through June 20, 2010.

Thanks to the Instituto Italiano per il Dramma Antico (INDA), this spectacular setting has been turning into a real ancient action every other year for 46 years now. It is like experiencing theater as ancient Greeks did more than 2000 year ago!It is a magic and emotional experience.

If you are in Sicily during that time of the year, I strongly suggest a stop in Syracuse. Even if the performances are going to be in Italian, it does not really matter: the sheer enjoyment of taking being part of such an old tradition will make the visit worthwhile. Tickets start at € 26 (currency converter).

General information:

Archeological Site of Siracusa (Unesco World Heritage Site)
Address: Via Rizzo/Via Paradiso, Siracusa
Phone: (0931) 662 06

To buy tickets:
INDA di Palazzo Greco
Corso Matteotti 29, Siracusa
Phone: (+39) 0931 – 48 72 48
Fax: (+39) 0931 – 48 72 49
www.indafondazione.org
Online tickets

The Alpine Ski World Cup 2010 stops on Mount Etna

February 20, 2010

From the Alps to the Dolomites and even as far as the snows of Mount Etna. The World Cup 2010 will stop on Mount Etna this weekend. It started out in Pila, Valle d’Aosta on December 18. It was followed by the Transclautana race on the snows of Claut in Valcellina, at the entrance to the Dolomiti Friulane Regional Park on January 23. 
On February 7, it was the turn of Charmey, in Switzerland with the Trophée des Gastlosen before the southernmost stage of the tour on February 20, the Trofeo Internazionale dell’Etna on the charming snows of Europe’s highest active volcano. Thirteen countries will compete for the trophy.

Map

Guttuso’s La Vucciria will be shown in Messina

February 13, 2010 6:00 pm

to

March 15, 2010 6:00 pm

For the second edition of  the “Notte della Cultura” in Messina on February 13, tourists and locals  will have the opportunity to view “La Vucciria” (the famous open-air market of Palermo, photo on the left), the 1974 painting of Renato Guttuso, currently kept at the Palazzo Chiaramonte, the headquarters of the University of Palermo. The paiting will be exhibited at the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele together with another artwork by the Palermitan painter: “The legend of Colapesce” decorating the ceiling of the theater since 1985. La Vucciria will remain in Messina for about a month.

Almond Blossom Festival in Agrigento, Sicily

February 14, 2010 9:00 am

to

February 21, 2010 10:00 pm

Agrigento will host the 65th edition of its Almond Blossom Festival this coming February 14-21, 2010. The event showcases folklorist groups and musical bands from diverse parts of the world: Armenia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cipro, Georgia, Guatemala, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine (see last year video of a Korean group below). Tourists can admire the almond blossoms in the beautiful setting of the Valley of the Temples.

The Almond Blossom Festival originated from an idea of Count Alfonso Gaetani in 1934. The purpose was to celebrate the mild climate in Agrigento and promote typical Sicilian products.

Carnival in Sicily

February 6, 2010 1:00 pm

to

February 16, 2010 11:00 pm

Carnevale is a feast that occurs before Lent. It usually takes place in February and is approaching now. Sicily hosts some of the best Carnivals in Italy. Among them is the one in Acireale, popularly known as the most exciting, beautiful, and fun carnival in all of Sicily.

Carnevale Acireale
Feb 6 -16 in Acireale (CT)

Carnevale Valderice
Feb 7 – 16 in Valderice (TP)

Carnevale Gangi
Feb 11 – 16 in Gangi (PA)

Carnevale Corleone
Feb 11 – 16 in Corleone (PA)

4th Festival of the tarocco orange in Francofonte (SR)

February 19, 2010 12:00 pm

to

February 21, 2010 9:00 pm

The tarocco orange is a variety of blood orange. The main center of Francofonte (SR) is hosting the 4th Festival of this fruit from February 19 through 21.

Next Page »