Traditions of Sicily

Traditions are the main aspect of tourism for any region. Paris is famous for its street organ-grinders, London – for its “cabs”, Berlin – for its tradition to walk under Brandenburg Gates. Traditions on Sicily are the basis for economic life of the island.

Catholic Church plays one of the most important roles in the life of Sicily like in Italy in general. That is why public life is closely connected with religion. The days of Catholic Saints are greatly celebrated in all parts of Sicily. And the most famous traditional holiday is the Holy Week on Easter. The marchers and processions which are organized in all the provinces of the isle are the mix of religions and national traditions. By the way, the latter are in harmony with the previous. On Sicily you may see lots of traditions of many nationalities from the Byzantines to the modern Italians.

Luxurious fancy-dress procession of Caretto Siciliano is very much alike the carnival in Venice. The most important part of it is a Sicilian carriage. It is not a sort of a vehicle. It is decorated with murals and paintings, the colors of which differ according to the regions. In the east of Sicily they prefer green and bordeaux and in the west the main colors are yellow and blue.
There are some traditional handicrafts in Sicily which are famous for their unique techniques. They are ceramics, cookery and puppet manufacturing. The centre of Sicilian ceramics is Caltagirone in the Catania province. The population here is 30000 people and there are 150 ceramic workshops.

Sicilian cuisine is famous for its abundance of seafood, wine and olive oil. It is known all over the world that Sicilian cuisine is the part of the Italian one. But the Sicilian people are of different opinion. Sicilians are especially proud of their olive oil, which is made here practically by all citizens.

Puppets and souvenirs are traditional for the whole Italy. But in Sicily they prefer Palladine to Pulcinella. Palladine is a hero of the middle-aged battles and the main character of the popular puppet shows. Puppet shows give the tourists the impression of antiquity and the attractiveness of the mystery.