If you are wondering how Sicilians celebrate the Day of the Dead, I am sorry to tell you this is a lost tradition by now in Sicily. It has died and buried like the dead they celebrated on this day.
You must know that this particular Day was more important than Christmas for the ancient Sicilians, because they considered it as a day to take gifts to their children, such as the ones from Santa Klaus. The only difference was that children believed the gifts came from their deceased relatives instead of Santa Klaus.
I am one of the survivors of this tradition. In this new blog post, I retraced all the colorful features of the Day of the Dead, from the customs to the belief and meaning of this special moment of the Sicilian tradition.
Day of the Dead. What was it for Sicilians?
In Sicily, the Day of the Dead began on the night of October 31, and ended on November 2, when Sicilians visited the tombs of their dead relatives.
It was just on the night of the 31th October that parents left gifts in the corners of their home, so that their children could find them in the morning of the first day of November.
They did that gingerly, as the children were asleep, in order to make them believe that the gifts came from one of their deceased relatives, usually grandfathers or grandmothers.
I still remember this day of my childhood. When I woke up, on November 1, along with my sister, I ran to search for the gifts, usually toys, that I believed my deceased grandfather had taken during Halloween night. I was one of the Sicilian children who believed the gifts of the Day of the Dead were donated by her dead relatives who exited their tomb on the night of October 31, to take fabulous dolls, and other delicious trinkets to the granddaughter.
For most Sicilians, especially kids, hence, the Day of the Dead was similar to and better than Christmas.
I never was able to sleep on the night of Halloween, because I looked forward to discovering the new toy that my beloved dead grandfather brought to me while I was, partially, asleep.
If you think about this tradition carefully, the concept that a dead person could rise from the tomb to take toys to children was a little morbid and spooky. Seen like this, we can say that the dreadful sensation of Halloween was invented by Sicilians instead of Americans. The deep meaning of this archaic tradition is in reality more venerable and relates to the strong importance of family ties.
If you have Sicilian roots, I am sure you are also interested to learn more about the heartfelt family bonds that constitute the true essence of the Day of the Dead in Sicily.
The Origin of this Tradition
In Italy, and Sicily, the Commemoration of the Dead is celebrated on November 2, straight after the All Saint Day. That is a tradition of the catholic Church which is in reality rooted in pagan rituals.
To better understand the origins of this tradition we must go back in time, when the Celts celebrated the pagan feast of Samhain (all souls) during the nights of October 31, and November 1, which marked the beginning of winter. That was the so-called Celtic New Year. In this moment of transition, it was believed that Earth and the supernatural world overlap, and spirits could come to live from the afterlife and return to their homes. The arrival of the new year was hence intertwined with celebrations which continued all night long inside the cemeteries.
From this short tale, it is easy to guess that Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve) and the other Christian holidays were influenced by pagan rites. In the year of 608 after Christ, Pope Bonifacio IV decided to institute a Christian feast that celebrated All Saints. Almost 200 years later, Pope Gregory IV moved this holiday from May 13 to November 1, to replace the pagan celebration, and thus, surpass it. It was always with this intention that the Commemoration of the Dead, or the Day of the Dead, was introduced on November 2.
Ever since, pagan traditions have continued existing, and blending with Christian holidays all over the world. In Italy, and especially in Sicily, the Day of the Dead took different nuances, not only in the religious sentiment, but also in the folkloristic and gastronomic aspects.
Meaning of the Day of the Dead for Sicilians
As already said, in Sicily, the Day of the Dead was particularly felt by adults and kids.
In the times of my childhood, the Sicilian tradition recounted that on the nights of 1 and 2 November, the souls of the dead came to visit their loved ones.
And always according to this tradition, during their permanence, these souls hid toys and sweets around the home.
Over time, this exquisite Sicilian tradition has gone lost, and has been replaced by local markets where toys, and Sicilian treats are sold. They are the so-called Fairs of the Dead, or Fiere dei Morti.
These fairs represent a radical change in the Sicilian customs, especially inside the family relationships. If one time, parents were united in the habit to donate gifts to their children on the Day of the Dead, making them believe these objects came from their deceased relatives; today, they have other things in mind. They prefer spending their time on Facebook, or at work, and doing this, they have fewer and fewer moments to devote to their children.
Moreover, the structure of Sicilian families is fully different from the past. Until 50 years ago, indeed, the Day of the Dead was a way to remember relatives or ancestors, maybe even the ones who emigrated abroad, died overseas, and never had the opportunity to return to their beloved Sicily. Pretending to play the role of the spirits of their dead, Sicilian parents perpetuated strong family ties between their forefathers and their offspring.
The solidity of family relationships was, in short, a true value for Sicilians. It was a way to show their love and affection for the entire nucleus of their family, for both the living and the dead.
This was the true Halloween Day for Sicilians, who, unfortunately, over the years, have been seduced by the American version of this ancient celebration.
And it is thus that crowds of Sicilian toddlers gather along the streets on Halloween night, to knock on the doors and ask for trick or treat. Usually, they are disguised as skeletons and witches. But they are alone, play alone, and spend this night alone, because the parents are elsewhere, with the body and with the heart.
Most of the time, Sicilian parents are separated and divorced, and with new companions who have no desire to celebrate deceased relatives with gifts to the children of their new partner. And doing so, the highest meaning of the Day of the Dead has gone lost in Sicily. Now, when you see Halloween night in Sicily, you seem to be in Salem.
The only heritage that reminds us of the Sicilian tradition is the Fair of the Dead or Fiera dei Morti. In this sense, the most popular one is the Fiera dei Morti in Catania.
Catania Dead Fair
The Fiera dei Morti of Catania is a popular local market which, every year, takes place in the area of Fontanarossa Airport from the end of October to November 2.
It consists of over 150 stands selling the most traditional products of Sicily, such as fresh and dried fruit, almond pastry, arancini, cannoli, clothing, bijoux, shoes and coffa bags.
This local fair is a true open-air spectacle that allows you to enjoy the authentic flavor of my beloved island.
Gifts from the Dead
After this cheerful and half creepy parade of information about and from Sicily’s tradition, I want to end this article with a description of the gifts I received as a child on the Day of the Dead.
Usually, my deceased grandfather (my parents, in reality), made me find dolls, plastic phones, and plastic steam iron.
I longed to receive the Barbie doll, but it never happened, because Barbie was expensive even at that time. I received dolls resembling newborns, such as Cicciobello.
Male children, instead, received plastic guns, trucks and plastic rifles. These were a mark of a gender culture where girls had to do things as a woman, and boys had to do things as a man.
The most donated dolls were the ones in porcelain. They were real artworks our grandmamas placed in their bedroom as decorative artifacts. Sometimes, I received small Sicilian marionettes, a ceramic Pierrot, but, often, I got dolls.
I still remember the day when a teacher, at the elementary school, as I was thrilled for the new dolls I believed to receive from my deceased grandfather, told me the harsh truth: “You are a naïve girl, the gifts you find in the Day of the Dead come from your parents! You have been deceived!” It was an awful day for me. I was only 6 years old, and lost my tie with my grandfather forever.
This experience shows the true meaning of the ancient Day of the Dead for Sicilians. It was to keep the memory of our lost relatives alive. Because there is no future, with no past.
Photocredits:
Lasiciliaweb.it
Etsy
Rosalba Mancuso is a freelance journalist born in Sicily. Passionate about her loved island and with extensive writing experience, Rosalba worked as a contributor to the main Sicily’s newspapers and as a bilingual Italian – English writer. Thanks to her skills, she also founded four websites in English. On Sicilyonweb, Rosalba tells every corner of her beloved Sicily. Furthermore, she writes this blog thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you book your travel or buy products through the affiliate widgets or links you find in her posts.