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The feast of the Jews, also known as the Fanfare of the Jews which takes place on Wednesday, Thursday and Good Friday, it is a particular event where the sacred and the profane intertwine.
The Jews of San Fratello represent those who led Christ to the cross and mocked him, and their objective is to disturbing the processional rites of Holy Week, in particular the Good Friday procession that follows the Crucifix, which is more often than not interrupted and disturbed by the festive arrival of the Jews. They mock the sacred and austere character of the Passion of Christ.
The feast of the Jews thus takes on a folkloristic but above all highly symbolic character.
Embodying the figures of the Jews are the many farmers, shepherds and inhabitants of San Fratello who they wear particular costumes handed down from father to son. The costume, which resembles a military uniform, consists of a red muslin jacket and trousers with yellow stripes of fabric and is embellished with floral motifs and embroidery that recall the ancient traditions of Arab culture. The face is covered by a red hood, called sbirrijan in the Gallo-Italic language, and characterized by large and long arched eyebrows and a long leather tongue with a cross embroidered on the tip which, like a sort of spiteful grimace, recalls the lying and diabolical character of the Jews. On their heads they wear a helmet, with a plume or a long tail, on which are painted motifs taken from Christian or popular symbolism such as crosses, fish, eagles, crescent moons,... They also wear chains tied to one wrist, called displina, used to make noise and wear raw leather and cloth shoes called schierpi d'piau in the local language.
These costumes partly recall those of the Roman soldiers who flagellated Jesus but they also recall, through the mask and the color red, the appearance that the devil takes on in popular tradition.
The Jewish Fanfare is believed to date back to medieval times and several hypotheses have been made about its origin. One of the most accredited hypotheses is that the festival may have Iberian origins as, in the past, the Jews were hit by orange throws as they were considered responsible for the crucifixion of Christ. The custom of raging against the Jews has no precedent in Sicily, and therefore it is considered probable that the Jewish fanfare may have been imported to San Fratello from the Iberian territory where the ritual of raging against the Jews was an integral part of the Good Friday demonstrations .
