San Biagio

The day after Candlemas, February 3, is celebrated the feast of Saint Blaise, bishop of Sebaste, in Armenia, who was martyred in 316 AD.

In various areas of Sardinia, it is customary to dedicate is piricchittus de Santu Brai e sim., sweets that, once blessed, would have the power to preserve from all ills and especially from respiratory diseases, in connection with the miracle performed by Saint Blaise who, while being taken to martyrdom, with the sole blessing healed a child who was about to suffocate because of a fish bone.

The feast of Saint Blaise, however, shows a background linked to the propitiation of the agrarian cycle and the new solar course, after the winter solstice. In fact, in many southern European countries it was customary to bring a handful of blessed cereals to church, which were then mixed with those for planting, to ensure a good harvest. This patronage, which has no relationship with the saint's history, probably derives from pre-Christian rites connected to the period of transition between winter and spring.

In addition to su piricchittu de Santu Brai, Gergei is prepared su sessineddu, a composition of fruit and flowers held together by the long, flat leaves of sèssini, a kind of rush hanging from which pieces of lard and sausage hang, a rosary made of bread dough, clusters of daffodils and su cordonittu, a cord of twisted wool of different colors, which will then be worn around his neck for an entire year, to defend against misfortunes and sore throats.

Su sessineddu, a real propitiatory symbol of the abundance and luxuriance of nature, has recently been enriched with new food ornaments, in this case sweets (clusters of chocolates and candies), which, after the blessing of the sessineddus in church, will perform the function of blessed food.

Update

4/2/2025 - 16:39