Feast of S. Antonio Abate in Nicolosi

January 17 in Nicolosi is "u iornu di Sant’Antoni", that is, the day of Sant’Antonio. On this day we commemorate the day on which Saint Anthony died in 356 AD. The feast in his honor takes place in a simple tone having regard above all to the liturgical-religious aspect. January 17 is traditionally preceded by a novenary of preaching and preparation for the feast, called by the people "a nuvena di Sant’Antonio". Traditional and deeply felt is the Office of the Venerable Confraternity of Sant’Antonio Abate, which gathers in the church at 4:00 am on January 17 for penitential prayers. The Office begins with the appointment of all the deceased brothers from 1608 until today and continues with the famous rite of penance: all the brothers symbolically crowned with thorns, move on their knees from the entrance of the church to the main altar, whipping each other. symbolically with a string in order to atone for one's sins.
At 5:00 in the morning, after the rite of the Office, to the notes of the hymn in honor of the Saint, the exciting "unveiling" of the Saint's statue takes place, greeted by the cries of emotion and jubilation of the devotees.
The liturgical feast is also accompanied by other traditions which have remained unscathed over the years. On January 17, the faithful can find in the Church the cucciddateddi benedetti, that is traditional bread donuts. In addition, a few days before the festival, the blessed pork is distributed to the families of the town in exchange for an offer. This, over time, has replaced the more ancient tradition that every year the people of the village raise a pig, to be slaughtered in the days before the festival.

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