by Kerry-Lynne Demarinis Brown

If you are Italian, there is a very good chance you know the story of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples. A man of unwavering Christian faith, he was known for his generosity, especially to the needy. The Romans beheaded him in the fourth century. His mourners wrapped the bishop's body and severed head in a cloth, collected his blood in a phial and preserved his body in Naples.

The martyr's blood, normally solidified, becomes liquid again in the Blood Miracle twice a year: on the first Sunday in May, the feast of the transfer of the saint's relics; and then again on September 19, the anniversary of his martyrdom. Communities around the world celebrate San Gennaro with festivals, elaborate processions and street fairs full of food, wine, music, and dancing.

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Fonte: L'italo-Americano