The Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Sicily
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, similarly to other religious celebrations, in Sicily is very felt. It is celebrated on the 8th of December and it is a recurrence of ancient origin: since the eighth century, at the time of the Byzantine domination, the cult of the Virgin Mary developed. The spirituality and the Latin liturgy, in fact, had always had an intense devotion towards the Mother of God. The most salient moments of devotion in Sicily are historically found in the city of Palermo in the seventeenth century: in 1624 many people died because of the plague and the Palermo Senate tried to put an end to that plague by every means, even spiritual.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Sicily is a tradition to be celebrated in many different ways. This feast inaugurates the Christmas festivities, combining devotion and folklore. The preparations begin a few days before and in the houses, as well as in pastry shops and bakeries, we can start to feel the classic smell of all those typical sweets of the period. The streets are already lit with lights and Christmas decorations and everything is wrapped in a typical atmosphere, which recalls the warmth of home and tradition. Eating together on December 7th and 8th means sharing not only food, but also affection and a sincere experience, which comes from the heart.
A dish that surely cannot miss is the sfincione, staple of the Sicilian Street food, so tasty yet so simple. It can be tasted as an appetizer or as a main course. If you cut into chunks, it is too inviting to not take advantage of it for the entire dinner! Also the battered cardoons are a classic of the Feast of the Immaculate in Sicily, along with artichokes and cauliflower in batter. Crunchy and golden, one leads to the other. Another fried dish, and possibly the main dish of the night is the fried cod.
The desserts complete the meal. The undisputed king is the buccellato, with its fragrant shortcrust pastry, which contains a lovely filling. Sfince and mustazzoli cannot be missing. On the evening of 7 December Sicilians spends their time playing card games, chattering and eating loads of food – and it’s only the beginning of the Christmas holidays!
Feast of the Immaculate in Sicily – Our Menu
Fried Cardoons and Artichokes
Between Sicilian cuisine and fries is true love. The vegetables in batter, crunchy and golden, are a classic example of “One pulls the other”. Serve still steaming, they are perfect for popping something in the company. Have a look at our recipe!
Sfincione
The prince of street food certainly cannot miss on occasions like these. Whether in the classic version or in the Bagherese version (the Sfincione Bianco), little changes: it is always and however delicious. You can have a look at our recipe here!
Fried cod
It cannot be said that it is quick to prepare, but a taste is enough to repay all the effort made. Baccalà is a fish widely used for Christmas holiday preparations.
Muffolette
Again, we are talking about a great classic of the Sicilian tradition. These sandwich are seasoned in many ways but, in our opinion, the best is always the simplest: good oil, anchovies, Sicilian cheese and sliced tomato.
Sfincette
Another demonstration of the winning combination between Sicily and fried food. The sfincette are small balls of bread dough, very soft and golden. They exist both in sweet version and in savory version. You want to give this a go? You can find the recipe of their bigger version here!
Buccellato
In its most classic form the buccellato represents the crown of stars, “u stellariu” of the Madonna. It is a dessert that needs no introduction: shortcrust pastry and a sweet filling made with figs, almonds and orange peel. How can you resist?
[…] has it that cardoons are prepared during the Christmas season, but it is especially for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th that they are a must on Sicilian […]