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Bianchi
Ludovico Bianchi

Prof. Megan Eddington

ENC 1102 (sec 105)

24 January 2024

Introduction

When I think about Italy, the first word that comes out of my mind is tradition. Most of the

things that we do come from specifically from our culture and we like to stick to it. While Italy has

been living for over 150 years, many traditions, dishes, and manners have lived for twice, if not

more, than the birth of this country. Because of that, many traditions that are celebrated in Italy are

celebrated only in some parts of the peninsula, while in other regions some traditions may be even

unknown to most of the population.

For instance, I am from Milan, which is in the northern part of Italy, and in my experience,

the 13th of December has always been a normal day of class for me. However, in Sicily, there is a

festivity dedicated to a saint, “Santa Lucia”, on that day which is very important for Sicilian culture.

In my case, although my mother is from Sicily, I have never heard of Saint Lucy’s Day and this is

why I am doing this research paper. The purpose of this study is to learn about one of the millions

of traditions that Italy offers and what people do usually on this day. To help me find information

for this research I interviewed one of my cousins from the island to help me understand the origins

and the tradition of this cultural festivity.

Methods

The data that I used for this paper comes from two sources, a primary and a secondary

source. I collected some of my data from a three-minute-long interview made on the 22 of January,

via Zoom call with my cousin Francesco Virzì. The questions that I asked him are the ones listed

below:

 Describe to me a cultural tradition that you find important for yourself?

 When is this Festivity?

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Bianchi
Ludovico Bianchi

Prof. Megan Eddington

ENC 1102 (sec 105)

24 January 2024

 What part of the family is involved in the festivity, is it a close meeting or it is open to

distant relatives?

 Besides the dish that you told me about, are there other specific dishes related to this

tradition?

 Does this tradition have historical roots or not?

 What do you do in this tradition, and if you follow it?

 What games do you play?

While the secondary source from which I collected some pieces of information is the web

page of the Italian newscast, Sky TG24.

Results

This study led to a series of findings that surprised me as I didn’t know the origins and the

relevance of Santa Lucy in Sicily. In the interview, Francesco started by telling me how this

tradition is actually important and how old this tradition is. With further study on the topic, I

discovered that this tradition has been alive since the 17th century, while its roots come from even

way further than you may think. Saint Lucy actually, before becoming a saint, was born in 283 A.C.

in the city of Syracuse. She became a saint, as the tale illustrates, in the period when Christians

were prosecuted in the Roman territories of Emperor Diocletian, she used to give food and help

those Christians who were hidden in the city. Because of that, sorry for what you will read, the

Romans extracted her eyes, however, her eyes miraculously grew back, consequently the Romans

decapitated her. on the 13th of December 304 A.C. (SKY TG24). Although we may realize that this

story may have some unrealistic insights, this story has been narrated for a thousand years. This tale
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Bianchi
Ludovico Bianchi

Prof. Megan Eddington

ENC 1102 (sec 105)

24 January 2024

became something true and important in the Sicilian culture, when in 1646 in Palermo, there was a

famine that was killing the population of Palermo, and on the 13th of December a load of grain

arrived in the docks. The citizens were so hungry that instead of working on the grain to make bread

they decided to cook it like it was with a little bit of oil and the ”arancina”, one of the most famous

dishes from the Sicilian cuisine was invented that day.

As Francesco and I continue the interview he then states, “ Per me è un giorno importante

perchè quel giorno la mia famiglia si riunisce o a pranzo o a cena e mangiamo arancine insieme.”

(It’s an important day for me because, as of tradition, the whole family reunites for dinner or lunch

and we all eat arancinas”; Francesco). Every Sicilian, who can reunite with the family, has a moral

duty to be present just like at Christmas or a relative’s birthday party. Furthermore, Francesco

follows by saying that after eating, just like every traditional festivity I have been to, they all end up

on the green table playing with cards, some families also gamble (Virzì).

Discussion

The interview and the studies behind this research paper have contributed to learning a new

tradition that has been alive for almost 500 years in Sicily. Having interviewed Francesco before my

research has helped me understand how the festivity is currently celebrated, and it made me curious

to look for the reason why Sicilians eat arancini on that day as a tradition. It, consequently, opened

my world when I found out the age and the reasons for this tradition. Honestly, although my mother

is from Sicily, I have never been to Sicily around that time, therefore, it may be a new revelation for

you just like it was for me. In addition to that, what surprised me the most about this study was the

longevity of the tradition and the fact that, as tales illustrate, the arancina was born on that day on

the 13th of december of 1646.

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Bianchi
Ludovico Bianchi

Prof. Megan Eddington

ENC 1102 (sec 105)

24 January 2024

WORKS CITED

Virzì, Francesco. Personal Interview. 23 January 2024.

“Santa Lucia a Palermo, Perché Si Mangiano Le Arancine Il 13 Dicembre.” Sky TG24, (13 Dec.

2022), tg24.sky.it/palermo/2022/12/13/santa-lucia-palermo-arancine-perche.

“Festa Di Santa Lucia: Storia, Curiosità e Tradizioni.” 13 dicembre Festa di Santa Lucia: storia,

curiosità e tradizioni, Sky TG24. (13 Dec. 2022) https://tg24.sky.it/cronaca/approfondimenti/santa-

lucia-13-dicembre