Good Friday in Sicily

**Please note.  The traditional costumes shown in this article are centuries old, originating from Sicily's Spanish period. While those unfamiliar with this tradition may find it surprising, please be assured that it has everything to do with reverence and respect and nothing to do with the other thing you may be thinking of. 

As soon as I touched down in Palermo, I had one thing on my mind.  I needed to make it across the island in time to see the famous Good Friday procession in Enna.

Having spent Holy Week in Rome several years ago, I knew Easter in Sicily would be a grand affair. I had no idea, however, I was in store for the most heartfelt and touching display of faith, culture and tradition I had ever witnessed.

Every town on the island celebrates Holy Week with reenactments of the Passion and Death of Christ, each with their own unique and ancient traditions.  The festivities begin on Palm Sunday and climax on Good Friday with attendance from the entire communities and visitors from around the world. 

Enna arguably has the most elaborate and profound Good Friday procession of them all.  The town is divided into 15 confraternities, similar to parishes, and each has their own church and traditional costume.   Hundreds of representatives from these confraternities silently march from their respective churches to the Duomo, carrying statues of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows, on their shoulders. Then later, parade to the cemetery by torchlight.  It's a huge honor to be a participant, the tradition handed down from father to son.

Inside the Duomo.

After driving through the countryside, with an endless view of rolling green hills and wildflowers, I arrived in Enna right at 2pm.  This was an important time because I knew they were going to start closing the streets then.The road into town is a dramatic drive straight up into the mountains to the highest inhabited point in all of Sicily. It was hard for me to believe such a thriving community has existed up there for literally thousands of years. But then again, lack of accessibility was most likely their goal to defend itself from invaders.

The view of the neighboring village, Calascibetta, from Enna.

I was surprised to find a parking space very quickly in an empty lot of a very old cemetery.  I had an even bigger surprise waiting for me when I got out of the car…and that was a fantastic view of Mount Etna. White steam was billowing from out of the volcano against a brilliant blue sky.  It was hard for me to take my eyes away from the expansive panorama. It’s said, that on a very clear day, you can see to all three coasts. I thought, if I see nothing else on this trip I will still be satisfied.

Before I got very far, luckily, I had a conversation with a priest at the cemetery who explained to me (in very broken English) that once the procession started, remaining cars would be towed from that lot. Having the rental car towed within hours of arriving to Sicily would have really stunk, so I was grateful for that bit of divine intervention.

Finally, I was safely parked down the road, and walking to the center of town. Every so often, I passed one of the parish churches decorated for the festivities.  Confraternity members gathered outside, dressed in the parish’s traditional colors, while proud family members took photos.  

The narrow streets were already filling up with people so I hurried to claim a spot on the top steps of the Duomo, Santa Maria della Visitazione (Saint Mary of the Visitation).  The Duomo is the main cathedral where the ceremonies would begin and end. The atmosphere around us was electric with excitement.  Onlookers were an interesting mix of locals, tourists and photographers from around the world.  Beaming parents escorted young confraternity members to the steps, clearly proud their child was continuing the family tradition. Small children rubber necked around their parents to see if the parade was starting. 

Without any introduction, the procession began with the Confraternita del SS. Salvatore (The Brotherhood of Saint Salvatore), the oldest in Enna, established in 1262. Dressed in long white vestments under a yellow cape emblazoned with The Maltese Cross, they marched silently into the Cathedral with the town’s band playing somber funeral music.  A few minutes later, dozens of members carefully carried the body of Christ on their shoulders, heaving up the steps and into the Cathedral. You can't help but feel what they feel, the seriousness of the ceremony. It's the funeral of Jesus.  And it's been celebrated exactly this way for hundreds of years. 

Every few minutes, a different confraternity arrived, each in their own colors and carrying symbols of Jesus' suffering. With the exception of those carrying Jesus or Mary, all the members are hooded. This tradition is the legacy of Spanish domination in Sicily. Some say it’s a sign of reverence or respect for the dead.  Others, that it is a sign of penance.  Try to imagine hundreds of hoods and cloaks of all different colors marching silently with torches through town. To say it's a dramatic scene is an understatement. 

I was staying in Palermo that night and didn’t want to drive through mountainous roads in the dark so I decided to make my way back to the car before the procession was over. Standing on the hill looking down I couldn’t believe what I saw. Throngs of the faithful slowly moving toward me as a solid mass. They were following the procession that was now carrying the grief stricken Mary, recreating the tragedy she experienced. It felt wrong to get in the way of their pilgrimage, so I didn't.

I let the parade pass and I watched as Mary and her followers traveled up the hill.  As I walked back to the car I tried to process what I had just witnessed.  I believe many people around the world assume this kind of deeply rooted faith and tradition has been lost forever. But it's on full display here, as it has been for centuries and will be for centuries more.  I was so grateful to have experienced Good Friday in Enna. 

Confraternity members carefully carrying Our Lady of Sorrows on their shoulders.

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Why I Do What I Do

Pathways in the mountain top town of Erice, Sicily.

After college, I moved to Godollo, Hungary, a rural village outside of Budapest where I taught English to elementary school children. Arriving at the end of the cold war, I watched as Soviet tanks were hauled away by train. Hungary was no longer an Eastern Bloc country and I found myself in the middle of history being made. 

I spent my free time exploring anywhere a train or bus ticket would take me. I couldn’t get enough of learning about Eastern Europe and the perseverance of its people. My time there changed how I would see the world forever.

While raising my family and building a successful retail business, I carried those memories with me. I dreamed of adventures in faraway places and the stories I would write. Those dreams turned to reality when I visited and later moved to Croatia. Falling madly in love with the country, its people and culture compelled me to share what I learned.

My travel blog, “Lifedigs-Simply Wandering and Wandering Simply” was born from these experiences. Exploring remote locations and uncovering the cultural treasures in each new adventure fuels me. I live by the philosophy that there is a story to be discovered everywhere.

You Don't Need WiFi or Data for Google Maps!

Did you know you can use Google Maps when traveling abroad without using WiFi or Data?  Wha What?? Is this for real?? YES, IT IS! It will even show the blue dot that pings your location.

Let’s face it, international data is expensive.  To avoid these fees, we do things like take screen shots of the map ahead of time.  That’s fine, but it doesn’t tell you where you are in relationship to where you are going and won’t let you zoom in any further than the original screen shot.  But the alternative is to turn on your phone’s data service at about a billion dollars per megabyte.

So follow these steps EXACTLY as shown prior to heading out and you will never be lost again! (These instructions are for the IPhone but it works on droids as well)       

1.      While still at your hotel, café or wherever you are    connected to WiFi, open your Google Map app.

2.     Type in the city where you are going in the search bar at top of screen.

3.     When you see your city, open the menu (3 bars on top left of screen).

4.     Click on offline areas.

5.     Click custom area.

6.     At this point you can zoom in or out a bit.  Then click download.

7.     You can rename your area with something more specific if you like and then save. (Use the pencil on right to edit)

8.     If you are going to a specific location, like a hotel, follow these next steps.

9.    Type in the name of your hotel in the search bar. When you see it, touch the red pin.  Click save to “Starred places”.

10.  Close the app and go into airplane mode (or at least turn off your WiFi or data).

11.  Reopen app.  Your destinations are now starred and your blue dot is pinging your location! You can zoom in as much as you need.

Voila!!