Even before the fourth century AD certainly was solemnly recalled the glorious day when Jesus entered Jerusalem, welcomed by a cheering crowd that, as the Gospel tells us, waving palm branches in its wake.
It was precisely this attitude of the crowd in Jerusalem to give his name to the last Sunday of Lent: Palm Sunday, the day that, for both the church and for the people, from the beginning of Holy Week.
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The palm and olive
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An ancient tradition, now widespread in much of the Christian world, wants a palm leaf or a sprig of olive trees are kept in every home, to encourage peace and serenity of the family.
in Caltanissetta, as in other towns, this tradition is interwoven with an ancient craft work, carefully handed down from father to son. In fact, the branches of the "female palms" are picked unripe months before the Holy Week and dried in the dark. Only a few days before Palm Sunday are skillfully woven by the virtuoso hands of local artisans with an amazing technique, che da vita a varie forme.
La Domenica delle Palme la città brulica di immancabili venditori di queste grandiose opere; specialmente nel centro storico sono tante le bancarelle o i carretti in cui si vendono le palme e i rami d'Ulivo che, con quell'inconfondibile odore di primavera, sono addobbati da nastri e avvolti da carta colorata.
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LA FESTA DI GESU' NAZARENO
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LA FESTA DI GESU' NAZARENO
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L'animazione tipica della festa nel tardo pomeriggio è data dalla processione di Gesù Nazareno, un corteo curioso; la secolare statua di Gesù Nazareno infatti, non viene condotta in processione a spalla o trainata su un semplice carrello, bensì is conducted through the main streets of downtown on a boat colored flowers, in Sicilian dialect called "the abbarcu" (the local name of the flower used primarily in this work). with this festival is that you want to Caltanissetta recall the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
. The procession .
That Palm Sunday procession is a very charming and festive, a rainbow of a thousand flowers and thousands of lights, as if by magic, are every year the streets of Old Town, after being a year waiting for this event .
In the days before Palm Sunday, many contadini vanno a raccogliere nei campi fiori tipici di questo periodo: le mimose, le margherite, i ciclamini, le gerbere, semplici fiori di campo e appunto l'abbarcu.
Sin dalle prime ore del mattino, gli organizzatori della processione intrecciano a uno ad uno, come in un mosaico, tutti questi fiori, fino a formare una barca su cui si porterà in processione la bellissima statua, dai nisseni chiamata "Gesù Nazareno", che ha le vesti di stoffa e numerosi ex voto, segno dei tanti devoti. Il lunghissimo procedimento dell'allestimento della barca termina nel pomeriggio.
Al tramonto Gesù Nazareno, sulla sua bellissima imbarcazione, esce con difficoltà dal piccolo and low gate of the courtyard of the town library. This step is as if, beyond that door, you will recall the entry of Jesus through the gates of Jerusalem.
A powerful firecracker is lit and shot in the air, announcing to those present the start of the procession.
From Jesus of Nazareth that door down in the impressive way that leads down to the library, and, amid a devoted crowd cheering, will cover the main streets of Old Town. The procession is accompanied by two bands from the city and children with palms and olive branches open the way for the statue, also participate in the procession, dress in tight, members of the fraternity organizer the procession, holding the "bilannuna" (large candles).
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In late evening the statue, after having walked the streets of the historic center, arrives at the church of Sant'Agata, and a massive and extraordinary abbarcu the right shoulder is brought into the church. is a spectacle of high value mystical, beautiful his rise to the steep stairs leading to the church.
Just before entering, and completely out of sight of the faithful, a wonderful fireworks show attracts the gaze of the crowd, while the rumble of the traditional "male" startles the hearts of the devotees who greeted Jesus of Nazareth with a caldo applauso.
Si conclude in questa maniera, così grandiosa e particolare, la prima giornata della settimana santa a Caltanissetta.
La processione della Domenica delle Palme è stata voluta diversi secoli fa dai contadini che, rimasti fuori dalle processioni della Settimana Santa, vollero fortemente una processione da protagonisti.
Un tempo però, la processione della Domenica delle Palme si svolgeva in maniera completamente diversa rispetto a come avviene oggi.
Infatti, nel primo pomeriggio veniva portato in processione un sepolcro costruito con fiori intrecciati, detto "u sipulcru di sciuri", con all'interno Gesù morto; i fiori volevano proprio testimoniare il prezioso lavoro di those farmers that they had so carefully cultivated.
Only later, around the year 1870, the daughter of Baron Vincent Granara, pointed out that it was unfair to see Jesus died on the very day when he entered Jerusalem gloriously, so, thanks to the encouragement of Baron, was commissioned to an unknown local artist that the current statue for only one year he went in procession, simply decorated with flowers.
But the 'initial idea was to fall, the only statue did not permit more than the presence of overflowing flowers, a sign of the peasants, and so it was decided to put Jesus riding a donkey with flowers, but the idea, being quite funny , was not even implemented.
So it was decided to bring Jesus in a boat procession of flowers, just because he has always been a fisherman, a fisher of souls.
. - Excerpt from "The Rites of Holy Week in Caltanissetta" by Francesco Miceli.
- Photo by Salvatore Iacona.
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