Day of the Dead in Sicily: A Celebration of Life

By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

It might sound like an oxymoron, but Il Giorno dei Morti (The Day of Dead), an ancient Catholic celebration honoring departed ancestors, loved ones and relatives, is not a time to be sad. Instead, it is a time to celebrate the cycle of life and a way to exorcise the pain of losing beloved ones.

The name of the celebration, which falls on Nov. 2, might sound like a scary Halloween movie. However, even though it falls close to Halloween, it feels more like Christmas time in Italian culture. This holiday is similar to the El Dia de los Muertos, a traditional Spanish and Latin American celebration in which Catholic families gather to make a pilgrimage to cemeteries and spiritually reunite with their beloved ones.

On Il Giorni dei Morti, the spirits of the dead are welcomed in a friendly way. Their “annual homecoming” is a time to be symbolically connected with their families and loved ones by eating, drinking, and bringing back the good old memories. It is a way to keep “alive” the bond between the living and the dead.

According to some historians, this festive tradition, which blends paganism and the Holy Scriptures, dates back to early Christian times. It was first established by St. Odilo, fifth Abbot of Cluny, in 998 AD.

Many different stories and explanations for the Day of the Dead celebrations exist in Sicilian culture.

According to one legend, on the night of Nov. 1, departed ancestors, loved ones and relatives visit children in their homes to bring them presents.

Giovanni Verga, Italian novelist and playwright, vividly describes this old tradition: “On the ‘Day of the Dead, walking on tiptoes, mothers put toys and sweets in the tiny shoes of their children while they are dreaming of long lines of white ghosts carrying glittering presents. Smiling young girls try on, in front of the mirror, the earrings or the brooch they were given by their fiancées.”

Some traditions were a bit darker, though. In one, on the night before the Day of the Dead, people used to hide all the food graters in the house because legend had it that the deceased would use them to scratch the feet of children who misbehaved while they were asleep.

Sicilian anthropologist Giuseppe Pitrè tells that, in the past, Sicilian children used to leave their shoes on window sills in the hope that their dead relatives would place gifts for them. Some would say dead relatives “turn themselves into ants” so they can enter easily into the homes to fill the baskets and the socks prepared by the kids with gifts.

Since presents are only for good children, on the night of Nov. 1, kids who misbehaved promise to work on changing.

Over the past few years, the Day of Dead has been often connected to Halloween, raising concern among some groups of Catholics who fear that the latter might overshadow this ancient religious celebration. Indeed, Halloween parties are now often organized across the country in discos and clubs.

As for every Sicilian holiday, a plethora of eye-catching sweets are prepared during this celebration.

The traditional “cosi ruci” (sweets) include “frutta martorana” (martorana fruits), a confection of almond paste made into the shape of different fruits; “n’zuddi” (almond cookies); cocoa-based cookies (“rame di Napoli,” “totò” and “bersaglieri”); “pupi ri zuccaru,” or puppets of boiled sugar; and “ossa di morti,” (bones of the dead), crunchy cookies that were once shaped as skulls and phalanges. Ossa di morti are made with a white dough that contrasts with the dark base where the sugar darkens close to the pan during baking.

Don’t miss the traditional “Fiera dei Morti” (All Souls Day’s Fair), which is also known among Sigonellans as the “shoe fair” because of the many stalls sell shoes. It actually features more than 200 booths selling furniture, shoes, clothing, arts and crafts, antiquities, food and more. It will be typically open during the last week of October in Catania and last until the beginning of November. Traffic is typically restricted in the fair area. Parking spaces will be set up in the venue’s adjoining streets and will be limited. Carpooling and parking far from this festival area is strongly recommended. Other similar smaller markets will be set up in the Catania province as well as other cities and towns across the island.

If you have a sweet tooth, the Sicilian Day of the Dead celebration honoring the ones who passed away, will be your favorite time! Rame di Napoli cookies are among the most popular treats. You will find them in any pasticcerie (pastry shops) and panifici (bakeries) during this time of the year. (Photo by Alberto Lunetta)