Valentine's Day in Italy is named after Saint Valentine who lived at the time of the Roman Empire. In Sorrento, they celebrate their own regional saint, Saint Antonino, meaning that Valentine's Day is not a national public holiday in Italy. In Sorrento, I saw St. Antonino being celebrated publicly with tents in the streets selling jewelry, food, books, candy and even some pet bunnies, fish and turtles. In the morning, there were church services as well as a parade.
Saint Valentine’s Day
In Sorrento, Italy, on February 14th they don't celebrate Valentine’s Day, but rather they celebrate their patron saint of the city. Most Italians--nearly 80%--are Catholic. According to the Catholic religion, a patron saint is a heavenly protector, and each town in Italy has its own dedicated saint. In Sorrento, their patron saint is Saint Antonio who is believed to have performed many miracles for the town of Sorrento such as saving a young child from a whale after it supposedly swallowed him. Other miracles include protection from foreign invasion and illnesses.
