In mid December our good friends invited us up to their town to watch part of the celebrations of the festival of St. Lucia, the patron saint of Belpasso. The festivities continued throughout the day, but we watched the portion during which the statue of St. Lucia was moved from inside of the church, to the silver fercolo that transports her throughout the streets, pulled by the young faithful (the people in white robes.) After the procession, which last for hours, St. Lucia is placed back into the church. Due to the fact that this portion of the celebration takes place during the day, the fireworks are loud, rather than bright…. and I think loud might be an understatement. Sicilians know how to put on a fireworks show!
Our friends sent us home with a package of these amazing treats. The name is escaping me, but they were a soft fried dough, doused in honey with a slight citrus flavor. Yum!
