St. Sylvester's Day definition of St. Sylvester's Day in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

St. Sylvester's Day

December 31

St. Sylvester (d. 335) was pope in the year 325, when Emperor Constantine declared that the pagan religion of Rome was abolished and that Christianity would henceforth be the official religion of the Empire. Although it is unclear exactly what role, if any, St. Sylvester played in this important event, he is always given at least some of the credit for stamping out paganism.
Because St. Sylvester's Day is also New Year's Eve, it is celebrated in Switzerland by lighting bonfires in the mountains and ringing church bells to signal the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new. It is a day for rising early, and the last to get out of bed or to reach school are greeted with shouts of "Sylvester!" In some Swiss villages, grain is threshed on specially constructed platforms to ensure a plentiful harvest in the coming year ( see also Old Silvester).
St. Sylvester's Eve is celebrated in Austria, Hungary, and Germany. It is not uncommon in restaurants and cafes for the owner to set a pig loose at midnight. Everyone tries to touch the pig because it is considered a symbol of good luck. In private homes, a marzipan pig may be hung from the ceiling and touched at midnight.

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 868
BkFest-1937, pp. 36, 49, 141, 176, 323, 347
BkHolWrld-1986, Jan 13
DaysCustFaith-1957, p. 325
DictDays-1988, pp. 23, 36, 125
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 690
FestWestEur-1958, pp. 21, 84, 242
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 780
OxYear-1999, p. 540
SaintFestCh-1904, p. 48

Celebration day: Dec 31

St. Sylvester's Day (Madeira)

December 31

In many European countries, December 31, in addition to New Year's Eve, is also the observance of St. Sylvester's Day, the feast day of Pope Sylvester (314-335). In Madeira, a group of eight Portuguese islands off the northwest coast of Africa, one of the world's most impressive fireworks displays takes place on the evening of this day, which is known as the Great Festival of St. Sylvester. The noise of the fireworks resounds over the Bay of Funchal, the islands' capital, where oceanliners make a special stop so that passengers can watch the celebrations.

CONTACTS:
Portuguese National Tourist Office
590 Fifth Ave., 4th Fl.
New York, NY 10036
800-767-8842 or 212-354-4403; fax: 212-764-6137
www.visitportugal.com

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