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Wednesday, 28 January 2009 |
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By Michele De Capitani
Celebrations have taken place for centuries and are meant to remind people of St. Agathas martyrdom. The saint was born in Catania in 235 A.D., in the period of the persecutions of Christians, and it is because of her Christian faith that Agatha was arrested, tortured and laid on burning embers. Agatha died praying in 251 A.D. The following year an eruption of the volcano Etna threatened the city, and people, trying to stop the lava flow, placed the Saints veil in front of the flow, which stopped immediately. For this reason Agatha was canonized and proclaimed patron Saint of Catania.
Immediately Saint Agatha became an object of worship, but the great celebrations that take place nowadays are supposed to have begun only in the 14th century. These celebrations, with the passing of time, have become an important religious and folkloristic event, which includes solemn ceremonies, historical parades, pyrotechnical shows and a fair, and they follow every year precise rituals. Celebration begins at the end of January, but it is in February, in particular between the 3rd and the 5th (the day |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 January 2009 )
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