The cult of the Patron Saint was developed by the early church which used the established pagan desire for multiple gods to lead people towards the Roman Catholic religion. Reinforced by the Spanish domination of eighteenth century Sicily, the Italian peninsular still finds itself celebrating endless saintly patrons during the year, a tradition also widely practiced throughout Andalusia today.
This winter together with Christmas Sicily celebrates the feasts of its three most influential female icons in a powerfully interconnected feminine trinity. Beginning with the annunciation of The Madonna which welcomes the miracle of the immaculate conception on the eighth of December (a public holiday here in Italy, it is actually considered bad luck to work on this day).
