The word Ferragosto comes from Latin, Feriae Augusti that is the rest of August. It indicates a popular feast that took place on the 15th of August to celebrate one of the main rural activities, the moment in which workers paid homage to their landlords that gave them a reward. In time, the Roman Catholicism adopted this date as a Holy Day of Obligation to commemorate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—the real physical elevation of her sinless soul and in-corrupt body into Heaven.
In celebration of this event, the town of Randazzo proudly parades an iron cart that launches 20 meters into the sky with 25 living characters (little boys and little girls) representing the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amazing spectacle to see... I unfortunately didn't have any good pictures of this, but found this old photo on-line.
2 comments:
Reading your blog always makes me miss Sicily!
I hope you come back soon...
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