The feast of Santa Lucia, is deeply rooted in Palermo's popoular tradition, and is one of the most important event in the Palermo's feasts calendar.
The importance of this feast is due to a real historical event, happened in 1646, during a great famine, that was hitting strong the city of Palermo, the people started to say prayers to that Saint and a miracle happened: a big ship full of corn appearing in the Port of the city, saving the all citizen from the death.
From that day, every year the feast of Santa Lucia has been celebrated in the city, avoding almost every kind of corn or flour. So most of the things you will eat on this special day, are unique, and they are prepared only for this day. If you love the Arancine, Santa Lucia is your special event, in fact for this special feast you are going experience a wide range of flavours and shapes that are impossible to find during the rest of the year. So Santa Lucia as also known in town as the Feast of Arancine, or St Arancina, if you are addicted to those faboulos rice balls, come to Palermo on the 13th of December, you are going to be in your heaven! The locals arancine makers are going to add for this special occasion a number of new flavours to the more traditional ones, Meat (alla carne), and Ham and Butter (al burro), in fact for the day of Santa Lucia you are going to find specials falvors like, spinach, salmons, squid ink, smoked ham, radicchio, choccolate, and many more that you are going to discover only on that day!
But the coulinary experience of Palermo's Santa Lucia day is far more than only arancine, don't miss the amazing potato's gateu, a sort of potato cake, a tasty yet delicate mashed potato casserole, mad with ham, cheese and eggs, a delicious course that you have to try at least once in your life to be happy!
But, the real marvel of the Santa Lucia in Palermo is the Cuccia, an ancient sicilian food, almost disappared today, granel of wheat, the apparence of the Cuccia on this day is due the story of the miracole told here. The story tells that the people of the town, were so starving that they can't wait for the corn to be processed into bread, so they started to boil it, and eating boiled grains. From that day, in Palermo for the day of Santa Lucia in every bar you are going to find the cuccia. Inspite of its history this boiled corn has become, one of the most delicious sweet of the city, in fact you can enjoy it along with riccotta cream, the mix is fantastically good, a real marvel.
Looking for a place to stay on the 13th December, book an holiday in Palermo with palermhotels, enjoy the Xmas incredible atmosphere of the city and try all the delicious food locals are preparing for you!