By Meghan Giannotta 

When you think of Little Italy's San Gennaro festival, Italian eats instantly come to mind. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the event that brings more than 1 million tourists and locals to Manhattan, craving cannolis. But when the Society of San Gennaro first took to the streets in 1926, the group had something different in mind.

The religious event takes place annually to honor the Roman Catholic patron saint of Naples, Saint Januarius (aka San Gennaro). It celebrates the miracle of Januarius' blood, which is saved in a vial in the Naples Cathedral and liquefies three times each year, including Sept. 19, Januarius' saint day. The occurrence is known to be a miracle by millions of people who gather in Italy to watch and in Manhattan to celebrate, said John Fratta, whose great grandfather was the first president of the Society of San Gennaro.

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Source: http://www.amny.com/