Gastronomy and festive material culture
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5.5 Gastronomy and material culture of festivals - Sub-index
5.5.1 The typical sweets of the Michaelmas festivities
Sweet rituals of 29 September and 8 May
The feasts dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, particularly those of 29 September and 8 May, are traditionally accompanied by the preparation and sharing of ritual sweets, often linked to specific local customs. These sweets not only have gastronomic value, but represent concrete signs of popular devotion, to be eaten in the family, offered during pilgrimages or donated as votive offerings.
Families, especially in rural areas and in centres where the cult is strongly felt (Monte Sant'Angelo, Caltanissetta, Caserta, Benevento), carefully prepare sweets that recall symbols of the Archangel, such as the sword, wings or scales, or traditional sweets for the occasion.
Traditional recipes (mostaccioli, taralli, Archangel biscuits)
Among the most popular desserts are:
Mostaccioli: sweets made with honey and spices, with a firm consistency, often in the shape of a rhombus or cross. In some areas they are decorated with white icing or chocolate.
Sweet taralli: crumbly and scented with aniseed or lemon, woven into symbolic shapes and sometimes tied with votive ribbons.
Archangel biscuits: dry biscuits, often in the shape of a sword or wing, sold near shrines during festivals, packaged in bags with devotional images.
In many cases, the preparation of these sweets takes place in a communal manner, with the participation of several generations, becoming a moment of transmission of memory and faith.
Votive offerings and symbolic sweets
The sweets prepared for the feast are not only for domestic consumption: they are often brought as votive offerings in churches or during processions, as a gesture of thanksgiving for a grace received. It is not uncommon in shrines to see trays of biscuits and taralli brought by the faithful, then distributed to those present or donated to the poor.
In some traditions, sweets are blessed and kept as a sign of protection for the home or given to children and the elderly as a gesture of good luck. Food thus becomes the language of faith, the bearer of symbolic and spiritual meanings.
Multimedia Content
Images
Mostaccioli di Monte Sant'Angelo
Traditional Apulian sweets made with almonds, chocolate and spices, typical of the celebrations in honour of St Michael the Archangel.
Tarallo-shaped biscuits, flavoured with vinsanto, typical of the Apulian tradition and often prepared during religious festivals.
Sweet taralli covered in icing and decorated with coloured sprinkles, often associated with religious celebrations in Apulia.
Neapolitan version of the sweet taralli, characterised by a soft texture and delicate flavour, prepared for religious festivities.
Video
Preparing St Michael's Biscuit
Ms Giuseppina Bisceglia shows how to prepare this traditional Sant'Angelo d'Alife cake, linked to the feast of St Michael the Archangel.
Festival of sweets in San Michele
A report on the traditional cake festival in honour of St Michael, with a focus on the
local specialities.
Video tutorial on the preparation of a typical cake dedicated to St Michael, with detailed explanations of ingredients and procedure.
Sources and References
St Michael's Way - Food Culture Section
The cuisine of religious festivals in Italy - Slow Food Editore
Archives of Apulian traditions - Apulia Region
TV2000 - 'At table with the saints' column
Sanctuarysanmichele.it - Collection of votive recipes
5.5.2 Savoury dishes and conviviality
Community lunches and 'fraternal agape'
In the context of the celebrations dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, community lunches represent one of the most awaited and significant moments from a social and religious point of view. In many communities, especially in the small towns of Southern Italy, the patronal feast ends with a 'agape fraterna': a shared lunch outdoors or in the parish premises, attended by the faithful, brethren and visitors.
These moments, though not liturgical, are deeply sacred in their relational dimension: the table, in fact, becomes a symbol of communion, welcome and gratitude to the Archangel. Sharing a meal is also a way to strengthen intergenerational ties and the memory of family traditions.
The menu of the festive lunches in honour of St Michael varies from region to region, but has some recurring elements, linked both to seasonality (September and May) and to peasant and pastoral tradition:
Roasted meats (lamb, kid, sausages), often cooked outdoors on large communal grills.
Peasant soups based on legumes, chicory or potatoes, in homage to the simplicity and sobriety of the devout people.
Local cheeses and cold cuts, served with homemade bread, symbols of abundance and blessing.
In some areas of the Gargano and Campania, the preparation of baked pasta, macaroni omelettes and rustic one-pot dishes, designed to be eaten in company, is also widespread.
Sharing as a form of thanksgiving
The shared meal is not just a convivial moment: for many devotees, it represents a gesture of thanksgiving for a grace received. Some offer lunch to the poor or donate food to the parish as a sign of devotion and gratitude.
In these contexts, food becomes an expression of lived faith: preparing, serving and sharing is an integral part of an incarnational spirituality, in which the sacred is interwoven with the everyday. The feast is thus completed in the reciprocal gift, in the taste of food and in the encounter with the other.
Multimedia Content
Images
Mix of roasted meats with olives and capers
Image of a traditional dish consisting of various roasted meats, typical of religious festivities.
Photograph of a traditional soup based on pulses and pasta, representative of peasant cuisine.
Selection of cured meats from Irpinia
Image showing a variety of typical Irpinia cold cuts, often present in festive lunches.
Video
Fraternal Agape - Sant'Angelo Le Fratte (PZ)
Video documenting the fraternal agape organised on the feast of St Michael the Archangel.
Feast of St Michael in Monte Sant'Angelo in Apulia
Reportage on the patronal feast, with a focus on culinary and convivial traditions.
Vasto, between faith and history in the devotion to San Michele Arcangelo
Video exploring the devotion to San Michele in Vasto, including moments of conviviality.
Sources and References
St Michael's Way - Culinary Traditions Section
The cuisine of religious festivals in Italy - Slow Food Editore
Italian Culture and Sport Association - Projects on food and devotion
TV2000 - 'Faith and Cooking' column
Folk Traditions Archive - Campania and Apulia Region
5.5.3 Markets, fairs and religious handicrafts
Food and confectionery stalls during the festive season
During the celebrations in honour of St Michael the Archangel, especially on 29 September and 8 May, the streets of the towns and cities involved are filled with street stalls, giving rise to traditional fairs in which the sacred is intertwined with the everyday. In these markets one finds:
typical sweets linked to the festival (mostaccioli, taralli, votive biscuits),
local products such as cheese, cold cuts, honey, jams,
gastronomic specialities cooked on site.
The atmosphere is lively and colourful, with scents mingling with the sounds of bands and choirs. The market, in this context, becomes an integral part of the religious festival, an extension of the spirit of sharing and welcoming.
Sacred objects and devotional souvenirs
Next to foodstuffs, an important place is occupied by religious souvenirs, which pilgrims buy for themselves or to give as gifts to family and friends. Among the most common are:
holy cards and holy pictures with prayers to St Michael,
medals, rosaries, crosses and icons depicting the Archangel,
votive swords (in miniature) and symbolic objects related to spiritual combat.
These objects are not mere commercial products, but tangible signs of faith, often blessed during the celebration or brought to the shrine to be consecrated.
Presence of St Michael's iconography in craft products
The image of St Michael the Archangel - with sword, scales, wings spread and the devil underfoot - is strongly present in local handicrafts. It is reproduced on:
artistic candles,
decorated ceramic plates,
squares, tiles and glazed tiles,
wood or wrought iron work.
This production, often handmade by local artisans, represents an artistic expression of devotion, in which popular art dialogues with faith, helping to preserve and hand down the iconography of St. Michael in the material culture of communities.
Multimedia Content
Images
Hand-painted ceramic statue of St Michael Archangel
An artistic representation of the Archangel, made of glazed and hand-painted ceramic, typical of Italian religious handicrafts.
St Michael Archangel medal in 925 silver
An example of a devotional object sold during religious fairs, depicting the Archangel in combat with the devil.
Ceramic stoup painted with the image of St Michael
A handicraft that combines religious function and popular art, often found in the markets of patronal festivals.
Vietri ceramic tiles with San Michele decoration
An example of how the iconography of the Archangel is present in handicraft products, such as these hand-painted tiles.
Video
St Michael's Fair in Caltanissetta
A report on the traditional fair dedicated to St Michael, with a focus on food and craft stalls.
Feast of St Michael in Canicattini Bagni (SR)
Footage of the patronal festival with images of markets, processions and religious celebrations.
Religious souvenirs in Monte Sant'Angelo
A video showing the various devotional objects available during the feast of St Michael in the Gargano.
Sources and References
St Michael's Way - Events and markets section
Santuariosanmichele.it - Iconography and devotional handicrafts
Archives of Popular Festivals of Italy - Ministry of Culture
TV2000 - Specials on religious markets
Slow Food - Traditional Markets and Rituals of the South
5.5.4 Symbols and objects of popular devotion
Candles, ribbons, medals and votive flags
In the popular cult of St Michael the Archangel, material devotional symbols play an essential role in making faith visible and marking moments of protection, request or gratitude. Among the most widespread are:
Votive candles, lit in shrines or in the home as a sign of continuous prayer and invocation to the light of the Archangel.
Coloured ribbons, often tied to simulacra or distributed during processions, worn on the wrist, on children's cradles or hung on doors.
Blessed medals, particularly those depicting St Michael piercing the dragon, worn around the neck or inserted into wallets.
Votive flags, hoisted on balconies or carried in a procession, bearing the image of the Archangel and the name of the 'pledge' or devoted family.
These objects not only have a symbolic value, but are considered vehicles of spiritual protection, a tangible expression of the personal relationship with St Michael.
Food offerings as an expression of faith
In many communities, the practice of offering bread, fruit, wine and other foodstuffs is still alive
at shrines or during processions. These are votive offerings, fulfilled:
to give thanks for a grace received,
to ask for protection or healing,
at important family moments (births, examinations, illnesses).
These offerings are often left on the altar or given to the poor, transforming the gesture into a sign of charity and sharing. The offering of food recalls ancient rites of propitiation and gratitude, transformed into a Christian act of solidarity.
Ritual use of blessed bread, wine and oil
In addition to spontaneous offerings, many parishes distribute blessed bread, wine or oil during the feast of St Michael to take home as a sign of divine protection. These items take on symbolic and spiritual significance:
Bread as a sign of nourishment and communion,
Wine as a symbol of alliance and joy,
Oil as an instrument of anointing and protection.
Often these products are kept in the home, used in private prayers or given to the sick, continuing the tradition of a faith embodied in everyday gestures.
Multimedia Content
Images
Votive candle of St Michael Archangel
Devotional candle with the image of the Archangel, used in personal prayers and during novenas.
St Michael the Archangel scented votive candle
Scented candle dedicated to the Archangel Michael, often used in rituals of protection and meditation.
Representative image of the elements blessed during religious celebrations, symbols of nourishment and communion.
Offering bread and wine in church
Photograph showing the offering of bread and wine during a religious celebration, a symbolic gesture of faith and thanksgiving.
Video
My father recounts the oil for San Michele
Personal testimony on the tradition of blessed oil in honour of St Michael the Archangel.
Devotion to St Michael Archangel
Documentary exploring popular devotion to St Michael, including symbols and devotional objects.
Stories of devotion from the Sanctuary of St Michael Archangel
Collection of stories and testimonies related to the cult of St Michael and the symbolic objects used by the faithful.
Sources and References
St Michael's Path - Symbols and Devotional Objects Section
Encyclopaedia of Italian Popular Religions - Roberto Turchi
Sanctuarysanmichele.it - Collection of symbols and ritual practices
TV2000 - Documentaries on popular faith and the micaelic cult
Ministry of Culture - ICCD - Archives on religious material culture
5.5.5 The table as a place of catechesis and transmission
Faith education through family traditions
In many Italian families, especially in regions where the cult of St Michael the Archangel is deeply rooted, the table becomes a privileged place for the transmission of faith. During the lunches of the Michaelic feasts, not only do people eat, but gestures, prayers, stories and symbols are handed down.
Through the preparation of traditional dishes, the elders tell the meaning of the recipes, explain the value of blessed food, and teach the younger ones the link between nourishment and sacredness. In this way, the kitchen becomes catechesis, and the home becomes a small domestic church.
Tales and memories of festive meals
Every dish eaten during the festival has a story to tell: some remember their grandmother kneading taralli to the sound of the bells, others recall their father distributing blessed bread to neighbours, others recall the tables shared with pilgrims who came from afar.
These stories, often linked to the personal experience of a grace received, become instruments of collective memory. The table is thus transformed into a space of sacred narration, where each morsel is accompanied by words that educate, inspire and strengthen faith.
Food as a symbolic language in popular religiosity
In the context of popular religiosity, food takes on a profound symbolic value. It is not only nourishment, but a sign of blessing, communion and gratitude. Bread, wine, oil, votive sweets: each element has a meaning that refers to the Christian tradition and the cult of the Archangel.
The ways in which food is prepared, shared or offered also convey spiritual messages: abundance as a sign of Providence, simplicity as an evangelical choice, sharing as charity. In this sense, the table becomes a secular altar, where the sacred is embodied in the everyday.
Multimedia Content
Images
Votive bread 'Shield of St Michael Archangel' - Valtellina
A traditional semi-sweet bread, divided into wedges, with a dried fig inside one of them, a symbol of protection and faith.
St Michael's Cake - Emilian Tradition
A shortcrust pastry shell filled with pudding cream and decorated with dried fruit, prepared during the patron saint celebrations.
Bread and holy oil - Symbols of faith
Reflection on the meaning of shared and blessed bread, emblem of the family table and fraternal sharing.
Video
Stories of devotion from the Sanctuary of St Michael Archangel
A documentary exploring popular devotion to St Michael, including symbols and devotional objects.
Catechesis in the Basilica - St Michael Archangel
An in-depth look at how the preparation and sharing of meals during the festivities dedicated to St Michael serve as tools for teaching and strengthening the faith within the community.
Feast of Saint Michael 2023 - Canicattini Bagni (SR)
Footage of the patronal festival with images of markets, processions and religious celebrations.
Sources and References
St Michael's Way - Home Culture and Transmission Section
The cuisine of memory - Anthropology and popular religiosity
TV2000 - 'Faith at the Table' column
Encyclopaedia of Italian Family Traditions - E. Pitr
Sanctuarysanmichele.it - Collections of family testimonies