St. Nicholas Day in Italy

On May 9, 2010 in the Italian city of Bari, the capital of the region of Apulia will be held one of the most beloved holidays of the citizens. On this day all people will be noisy and fun to celebrate Sagra di San Nicola - The Day of St. Nicholas, patron saint of the city. Unusual nature of this festival is that the rest of the world celebrates St. Nicholas Day on December 6 / 9 depending on the religion, but not in Bari. Here in the basilica of St. Nicholas are kept the relics of the miracle-working saint, which in 1087 were secretly transported from Myra in Lycia (now on the territory of Turkey), the day of arrival of the relics in the city is celebrated by the people of Bari.

On this day, according to the tradition, from the morning people start to gather near the Basilica of St. Nicholas, where at 4 o'clock start the first mass, which will be repeated every half an hour until 8 am, and there are so much people that at 6 o'clock no one can get into the church. Especially popular on this day the basil is among unmarried girls who line up to touch the pillar to the right of the altar: it is believed that the one that has touched it in the early morning on May 9 will find her fiancé and will marry within 12 months. In addition to the religious part of the holiday there will be other activities such as: fireworks, parades, folk festivals and performances.

In addition to the local residents the Sagra di San Nicola in Bari attracts a large number of pilgrims (especially the Orthodox) and tourists hoping for help St. Nicholas, or come just to admire the ancient city. The latter will be particularly interesting to visit the cathedral church of St. Sabina (1170) - a magnificent example of Apulian romantic architecture, seaside Frederick Hohenstaufen Castle (Castello Svevo of XIII century) and the old theater of Petruzelli, which opened this year after the restoration. Bari is also famous for its fish shops, small markets, pubs and restaurants, and 40 km from Bari are located the famous Grotte di Castelana – one of the finest caves in Europe.

For those who wish to travel to Bari to celebrate the Day of St. Nicholas and looks for housing, a good support will be service of rental in Bari from cottages-for-holidays.com.