Catholic holidays - Saint Agatha's Day (Feast of Saint Agatha)

Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr, is a particularly revered saint in Christianity, whose worship began in ancient times The feast of St Agatha is celebrated on February 5 and is considered one of the most beautiful holidays in the world, combining religiosity, folklore and old traditions Agatha was born in Catania, Sicily, during a time of persecution, when a merciless system brutally dealt with the first Christians Her family was of a rich and noble family, but the girl was raised in true piety From an early age she felt in her heart the desire to belong to Christ When she was 15 years old, she decided to devote her life to him But fate prepared difficult trials for Agatha The proconsul of Catania, Quintian, was inflamed with uncontrollable passion for her and, captivated by her beauty, sent matchmakers, but received a firm refusal Angry and hurt, he ordered Agatha to be arrested and subjected to terrible torture, trying to force her to renounce Christ But instead of breaking the girl’s resistance, her torment seemed to give her new strength Quintian, at the peak of his rage, ordered her breasts to be cut off with huge forceps, but at night the Apostle Peter and an angel appeared to Agatha and healed the terrible wounds And then, on February 5, 251, Agatha was burned alive on hot coals, without forcing her to renounce her faith A year after these events, a powerful eruption of Mount Etna began, and a stream of deadly lava rushed into the city Imminent death threatened the inhabitants of Catania, but the lava bypassed the city The townspeople believed that this miracle happened thanks to the prayers of the holy virgin After this, many pagans turned to Christ People came to Agatha's grave to pray and ask for protection Since then, Agatha has been considered a protector against natural disasters She is also a carer for breast sufferers, midwives, wet nurses, bakers, foundry workers, nurses, firefighters and victims of violence Saint Agatha is the patroness of Sicily and Italy, the cities of Palermo and Catania, where her relics and precious relics are kept, where believers and tourists come every year on February 5 to honor the saint and participate in solemn rituals On the day of the martyr’s death, her relics in a golden reliquary are carried through the streets on a special cart Huge candles and colorful lights fill the city The symbols of the holiday are white and red carnations, signifying purity and innocently shed blood Orthodox Christians also honor the blessed memory of Saint Agatha (Agatha) Priests conduct memorial liturgies in churches On this day, it is customary to bless bread, water, salt and throw them into the fire in order to protect their homes from fires and lightning, and to feed domestic animals with consecrated bread to protect them from diseases On this day, they ask for the intercession of Saint Agafya and pray to protect families from danger