All Traditional Festivals

The Carnival of Acireale 2024 (Carnevale di Acireale 2024) will take place between Saturday, January 27, and Tuesday, February 13, 2024, in Acireale. The Acireale Carnival is known for the parade of allegorical floats, decorated with flowers and lights, accompanied by masked people and music bands.   WHAT ARE THE DATES FOR THE CARNIVAL OF ACIREALE 2024? The Carnival of Acireale, one of the oldest carnivals in Sicily, is an annual festival which starts 19 days before Lent and ends on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. In 2024, Shrove Tuesday will fall on February 13.   WHAT IS THE LOCATION OF THE ACIREALE CARNIVAL 2024? The Carnival of Acireale 2024 will take place, of course, in Acireale, in the historical center of the city. The starting point for the parade of allegorical floats will be the beautiful Piazza del Duomo, which will then unfold along the main streets of the city.   SHORT HISTORY OF THE CARNIVAL OF ACIREALE The first documented information about a carnival in Acireale dates back to 1594, and appears on a payment made by the Municipality to the Capuchin friars for organizing the festivities. At the Read more [...]

The Feast of Saint Agatha 2024 (Festa di Sant’Agata 2024) will take place between Saturday, February 3, and Monday, February 5, 2024, in Catania. The religious feast is dedicated to Saint Agatha, the patron saint of Catania, who was martyred in the year 251 AD, during the persecution of the Roman Emperor Decius.   WHAT ARE THE DATES FOR THE FEAST OF SAINT AGATHA 2024? Saint Agatha is celebrated in Catania twice a year. The feast held in February commemorates the martyrdom of the Saint, while the feast held in August celebrates the return of her remains to Sicily. The Feast of Saint Agatha (Festa di Sant’Agata) takes place between 3 and 5 February, while the Summer Feast of Saint Agatha (Festa Estiva di Sant’Agata) takes place every year on August 17. In February, around one million people come from all over Sicily to attend the Feast of Saint Agatha, which is comparable to the Holy Week in Seville, Spain, or the Feast of Corpus Domini in Cuzco, Peru. For three days, the city forgets about everyday things to focus on the celebration, a mixture of devotion and folklore.   WHAT IS THE LOCATION OF FESTA DI SANT’AGATA 2024? Festa Read more [...]

Calendimaggio 2024 will most likely take place between Wednesday, May 8, and Saturday, May 11, 2024, in the beautiful town of Assisi.   WHAT ARE THE DATES FOR CALENDIMAGGIO 2024? Since 2015, the festival is held every year on the first Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday after the 1st of May, to greet the arrival of spring. In 2024, May 1st will fall on a Wednesday, just as it happened in 2019, and Calendimaggio 2024 will most likely take place between May 8 and 11.   WHAT IS THE LOCATION FOR CALENDIMAGGIO 2024? Calendimaggio 2024 will take place in Assisi, and the most important events of the festival will be held in the main square of the town, Piazza del Comune.   SHORT HISTORY OF CALENDIMAGGIO The origins of Calendimaggio are lost in time. Most likely, the festival tried to revive an ancient pagan custom that celebrated the return of spring and the renewal of the cycle of life. The ancient chronicles tell us that Assisi, at the beginning of the 14th century, reached its maximum splendor, a fact confirmed by the expansion of its walls, and by its numerous palaces and churches. At the same time, the city was Read more [...]