99th Annual Italian Feast of Saints Cosmas & Damian

When:
Friday, Sep 06, 2024 6:00p -
Sunday, Sep 08, 2024 11:00p

Where:
East Cambridge
Warren St
Cambridge, MA

EventScheduled OfflineEventAttendanceMode

Admission:
FREE

Categories:
Date Idea, Festivals & Fairs, Good for Groups, Kid Friendly, Outside

Event website:
https://www.cosmas-and-damian.org/

The 99th Annual Feast will take place on:

Friday September 6 - Sunday September 8, 2024


There will be food vendors, amusement rides, carnival games, parades, healing service, outdoor mass, processions, activities for children, special guests, our beer and wine garden, as well as national recording artists and local bands as part of our entertainment schedule. We will be announcing our musical acts shortly.


Every year, thousands from near and far join us for the Feast. This three-day celebration is filled with excitement for all. It is a time for family, friends, neighbors, and the community to come together and appreciate the traditions of Italy, as well as pay homage to the miraculous Saints Cosmas and Damian, "The Healing Saints".


Warren and Porter Streets (Gaeta Square) of East Cambridge are closed and decorated with illuminations, banners, and flags. The bandstand and the ornate (the temporary chapel which houses the Saints for the weekend) are erected at one end of the festival. A carnival is erected at the other end of the festival. The street is filled with vendors of all sorts, and the aroma of sizzling Italian sausage fills the air.



The statues of Saints Cosmas and Damian are taken out of their chapel on Porter Street on Friday evening. The American and Italian National Anthems are played, as well as the "Lind" or "Hymn" (the traditional song of Saints Cosmas and Damian). The traditional "Marcia Reale" is played as the saints are taken out of the building. Fireworks and confetti greet the statues as they are carried down Porter Street. A candlelight procession follows the Saints as the statues are swayed down the main street of the Feast. The statues are placed in a temporary outdoor chapel on Warren Street. Music, food, carnival rides, and games continue throughout the evening. At 11:00 PM, the statues are taken back to their chapel on Porter Street.


The Feast continues Saturday afternoon, when rides, games, and vendors open up their stands. Buses of devotees from places like the Bronx, NY join the festivities. A candlelight procession brings the Saints back to the Chapel on Warren Street, and a healing service is conducted with the relic of Saints Cosmas and Damian. Entertainment continues throughout the evening. At 11:00 PM, the statues are again taken back to their chapel on Porter Street, and members remain at the Feast until the early hours of Sunday preparing for "the big day".


On Sunday morning, the chapel is opened at 7:00 AM. Coffee and Italian pastries are served for all who will march in the morning procession to Saint Francis Church. The society women wear purple satin capes for this special procession. Many children and other devotees will also walk to Church. The statues are again taken out of the chapel in a traditional fashion as the bands play. The church will fill to capacity for the morning Mass as parishioners, local guests, and visitors from all parts of the country come to see the beloved Healing Saints.


At the conclusion of the Mass, the procession returns to Warren Street and the Society hosts a free traditional Italian dinner for all to enjoy.

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09/06/2024 18:00:00 09/08/2024 23:00:00 America/New_York 99th Annual Italian Feast of Saints Cosmas & Damian <p><strong>The 99th Annual Feast will take place on:</strong></p><p><strong>Friday September 6 - Sunday September 8, 2024</strong></p><p><br></p><p>There will be food vendors, amusement rides, carn...

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