The Feast of Saint Agatha, principal patron of the city and the archdiocese of Catania, runs from February 3 to 5; the procession of the 5th returns to the cathedral only on the morning of the 6th. In 2027 those days are Wednesday through Friday. On February 3 a procession brings wax to the cathedral, on the 4th the silver fercolo with the relics circles the outer city all day, and on the 5th the main procession crosses the center along Via Etnea. The octave on February 12 closes the feast.
February 3: the wax offering and the candelore
At midday the procession of the offerta della cera walks from the church of Sant'Agata alla Fornace to the cathedral. The city's officials take part, along with the 18th-century carriage of the old Senate and the candelore, richly decorated candle structures that stand for the city's old guilds. Their bearers move them with a swaying step called the annacata. In 2026 the day ended with choirs and fireworks in Piazza Duomo.
February 4: a Mass at dawn and the loop around the city
The cathedral fills before sunrise; in 2026 the Messa dell'Aurora began at 6 a.m. Then the relics are placed on the fercolo, a silver canopy, and the faithful accompany it all day through the outer districts: from the harbor past Piazza Stesicoro and up the Cappuccini slope to the church of Sant'Agata la Vetere, then back along Via Plebiscito to Piazza Duomo. The route passes the places tradition links to the saint's martyrdom, Sant'Agata al Carcere and Sant'Agata alla Fornace. On this day red carnations, the sign of martyrdom, decorate the fercolo.
February 5: the main procession through the center
February 5 is the feast day itself, the anniversary of Agatha's death in 251. In the morning the cathedral holds a solemn pontifical Mass; in the late afternoon (5 p.m. in 2026) the procession sets out, now with white carnations. It follows Via Etnea to Piazza Borgo and its fireworks, climbs Via Sangiuliano, which the faithful traditionally take at a run, and passes along Via Crociferi, where the Benedictine nuns of San Benedetto sing for the saint. The procession gets back to the cathedral only on the morning of February 6.
The devoti in white
Many of the faithful wear the sacco, a white tunic with a black cap. That is how you recognize the devoti, Agatha's devotees, in the crowd.
The octave on February 12 and the summer feast on August 17
On February 12 the octave closes the feast: after the evening Mass the relics are carried once more around Piazza Duomo. On August 17 Catania holds a smaller summer feast for the return of the relics in 1126.
What to eat
Pastry shops sell minne di Sant'Agata, small cassatas whose shape recalls the saint's martyrdom, and olivette, green olives made of almond paste.
Planning your stay
The festival committee, the city and the archdiocese publish the program with times in January, and the committee's official app shows where the fercolo is. In 2027 the feast falls in the carnival season of Acireale, 9 miles away. Holiday homes are on the coast between Catania and Taormina, for example in Giarre and Santa Venerina.
