Customs and Traditions: Citrus and Laurel Decorations in North-Eastern Sicily

Photo credit: VivolnSicilia

It is always of interest to look into some of the local customs and traditions that grow up around the sacred liturgy in different parts of the world, particularly when they have ties to the local or regional culture of an area. In many ways it helps provide us with insights into how Catholic communities found ways, using whatever they had, to give honour and priority to the sacred liturgy. 

Regrettably in our own time, many such customs have fallen by the wayside like so many other things, whether due to shrinking attendance since the 1970's, or simply the general flattening and homogenizing of both culture in general, as well as ecclesiastical and liturgical culture with a much greater focus on uniformity.  As a result, when we find such customs still in fact in some regions, it is always of interest to take a look at them.

One such example comes to us from the province of Messina located in Sicily. Here we find a tradition where they will decorate churches with local citrus produce as well as laurels and palms. Today's images specifically come from a church in Castel di Lucio and are created by two local confraternities dedicated to this task (a good reminder that confraternities are frequently the de facto 'guardians' of these wonderful customs). 

It is said that in this small church, approximately 1500 oranges are required to facilitate the decorations, all of which are procured from within the region and local tradition believes that the custom began after a local believer, having received an answer to prayer, offered up his entire orange harvest to the church in thanksgiving for the graces received. While this is or something akin to it is certainly one possible origin, it is also not difficult to comprehend how oranges, with their beautiful colour and incense like sweet scent (and plentifulness in the region) is also a natural candidate for decorative uses such as this.

This particular tradition is focused around the time of Holy Week. 

For those who speak Italian, there is more on this beautiful custom here:

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