Story by Luisa with an introduction by Geoff

A good friend of ours, Luisa, grew up in Vittoria, Sicilia. Sometimes when we’re chatting she opens up her ‘box of memories’ as she calls it, and recounts episodes from her youth. “Do you like writing?” I asked her one day, “yes, I used to” she replied, “why?” I explained about our blog, which she’s never seen because she doesn’t have an internet connection. “How would you like to write a short article for us? … for example, you could write about the festa di Santa Lucia that you told me about” … “okay, ci provo” was her reply. So, here is the first of Luisa’s guest articles, we hope there will be more to follow …..

La Chiesa della Madonna delle Grazie in Vittoria, Sicilia. Photo (CC) by Clemensfranz

A Vittoria, in Sicilia, negli anni ‘80 c’era ancora l’usanza di fare dei grandi falò per il 13 dicembre, a ricordare la tragica morte di Santa Lucia. Per chi non lo sapesse, la santa infatti è stata bruciata viva.
In Vittoria, Sicily, in the 80’s there still existed the custom of making big bonfires on the 13th of December in memory of the tragic death of Santa Lucia. For those who don’t know, the saint was in fact burnt alive.

Ogni quartiere faceva il suo falò; durante il giorno tutti i ragazzi si impegnavano a procurare della legna che veniva sistemata al centro di ogni incrocio per le vie della città.
Every district of the town made its own bonfire; during the day all the lads set themselves the task of getting hold of some wood that would be set up in the centre of every crossroads in town.

Ovviamente c’era quella competitività di chi riusciva a fare il falò più grande. Si aspettava la sera per dare inizio a questa festa: ci si radunava intorno al falò e si stava insieme a ridere e scherzare, e c’era chi osava addirittura farsi una grigliata di carne.
Obviously there was a competition to see who could manage to build the biggest bonfire. We waited for evening before we began the festival: we gathered around the fire and stood there together laughing and joking, and there were even some who dared to make themselves a barbeque with meat.

Il Falò di Santa Lucia

Ricordo quei tempi con nostalgia come se fossero passati secoli, e mi proietto ad oggi, alla società in cui viviamo, dove tutto è tecnologia e frenesia, e con tristezza mi domando: “Cosa avranno i nostri figli da ricordare un domani?”
I remember those times nostalgically as if centuries had passed, and flash forward to today, to the society in which we live, where everything is technology and rushing around, and I ask myself sadly: “What will our children have to remember one day?”

Grazie Luisa, alla prossima …