In Abruzzo, Feb. 3 remains a deeply felt holiday in which religious devotion and culinary traditions are intertwined. The figure of St. Blaise, a 4th-century physician and bishop of Sebaste, is especially linked to the miracle of the healing of a child who was choking on a fishbone. Hence the custom of the blessing of the throat, imparted with two crossed candles during liturgical celebrations.
The religious festival is accompanied, as always, by gastronomic customs that vary from area to area. In the Pescara area, traditional taralli and tarallucci are carefully prepared, sweet or savory, with a ring shape that symbolically recalls the throat protected by the saint. Blessed in church, they are then shared with family and friends as a propitiatory gesture.
In Taranta Peligna, at the foot of the Maiella Mountains, the ancient ritual of panicelle is renewed again in 2026. A triduum with masses, communal preparation of the dough and blessing of the sacred breads takes place from January 31 to February 3. Women make the panicelle in the typical shape of a blessing hand, and on the feast day, after the solemn mass and procession, they are distributed to the faithful to protect them from the evils of the throat.
In L’Aquila the tradition is linked to the preparation of the large St. Blaise doughnut, enriched with raisins, aniseed and candied fruit and brought to the church for blessing. Masses dedicated to the saint are celebrated on Feb. 3 in the Basilica of St. Joseph the Craftsman, with the customary blessing of the throat and delivery of blessed bread, in memory of the miracles attributed to the martyred bishop.
In Lanciano, the confraternity of St. Blaise opens the triduum on Jan. 31 with rosary and masses. On Feb. 3, the faithful participate in morning celebrations and the rite of anointing the throat with holy oil. It is traditional to consume the taralli di San Biagio, sweet or savory and flavored with anise seeds, prepared for the occasion in city bakeries.
In Teramo, the custom of blessed loaves is renewed: on the morning of Feb. 3 at a town bakery, the priest imparts a blessing on the loaves, which are then distributed, two per household, to those who wish to participate in the tradition. As in other parts of the region, taralli and doughnuts linked to the cult of the saint are prepared here.
These celebrations are an opportunity to rediscover religious rites and local traditions, but also to appreciate the seasonal flavors that accompany the memory of St. Blaise in the different communities of Abruzzo.
