Punctually, the island of Marettimo for the Feast of San Giuseppe awakens from the torpor of the long winter months for the celebration of the patron saint who not only represents the strong religious bond of the islanders with the Saint, but also the solid emotional relationship with their island, invigorated by the first warm rays of the sun.
The preparations keep the Marettimo community busy already in the weeks preceding the anniversary, but the festive atmosphere begins to be felt from the eve of the celebrations when, accompanied by the musical band, the flag with the effigy of the Saint is raised. Let the party begin!
17 MARCH: In addition to the traditional folklore games featuring the young people of Marettimo struggling with physical tests of an initiatory nature.
18 Marzo: la giornata del 19 Marzo procede con la Santa Messa e la novena a San Giuseppe per poi concludersi con il suggestivo rito serale della Duminiara: l’accensione di tre falò dedicati rispettivamente a Gesù, Giuseppe e Maria.
19 MARCH: the streets of the town are the scene of two other rites with strong religious symbolism, that of the Alloggiate, recalling the flight into Egypt of the Holy Family, the most moving, and that of the Ammitata di Santi, the traditional lunch prepared by the local population for three sacred pilgrims played by the inhabitants of the island.
On the stage, located in the center of the main square, the sacred banquet is decorated with olive branches and wallflowers and laden with panuzzi, cucciddrati, petra mennula, cubbàita di giuggiulena, cassateddre di ricotta, traditional foods and desserts from the island. In the afternoon, the statue of San Giuseppe parades through the streets of the town to the sound of music and dialect invocations.
The long-awaited fireworks conclude the evening dedicated to the Patriarch.
