Relics of St Sylvester in Nonantola, Emilia Romagna,
San Silvestro in Capite, Rome, nowadays serviced by the Irish Pallottine Fathers. This ancient basilica was dedicated to Saint Sylvester I (Pope Sylvester), who converted the emperor Constantine to Christianity and instituted the Nycene creed. It houses the skull of Saint John the Baptist as well as relics of Sylvester and Tarcisius the martyr and notable artworks from the 1600s. A second Roman church dedicated to Saint Sylvester is San Silvestro al Quirinale.
Catacombs of San Silvestro, Rome: The catacombs are an early Christian burial site that bears the name of Saint Sylvester. It was common belief that he had given a funeral banquet for martyrs here.
Nonantola Abbey, co-cathedral of the diocese of Modena-Nonantola in Emilia Romagna, Italy, founded in 752 and gifted some relics of Saint Sylvester, leading to its name San Silvestro de Nonantula.
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. The sandal of Saint Sylvester was included in an 1161 list of relics placed in a shrine at the cathedral before the Norman invasion. The entire treasury of relics was lost or destroyed in the collapse of the west window of Christ Church in 1461.
Saint Sylvester’s Church and Well, Malahide: This beautiful church, an excellent example of neo-Gothic architecture and nearby holy well may be named after Saint Sylvester, whose cult was introduced by the Normans, or Bishop Silvester, associated with the fifth-century Christian mission to Ireland associated with Donard, County Wicklow. The waters of the well were believed to have curative powers. To purify the waters, an eel was inserted into the well up until the late 1890s. The tradition of reciting prayers while circling the well on 15th August has been revived recently.
Belgium: In Belgium, there was a tradition that if a maiden does not finish her work by sunset on St Silvester’s Day, she will not get married in the year to come.
Switzerland: Swiss children compete with each other to see who can wake up the earliest on St Sylvester’s Day. For centuries, men have masqueraded as Silvesterklaus on this day.
Vienna: people used to walk pigs on leashes for good luck for the coming year on Saint Silvester’s Day, December 31st.
Germany: there is a custom of Bleigiessen using Silvesterblei, where the lead is melted and dropped into a bowl of cold water. The shape forms predicts one’s fortune for the coming year.
Italy: Italians eat lentils and slices of sausage on Saint Sylvester’s Day as they symbolise good fortune and richness for the coming year.
Saint Sylvester’s College, Kandy, Sri Lanka: A prestigious school founded in the name of Saint Sylvester. It is known for providing a high standard of education, with a particular focus on discipline and religious instruction.
Saint Sylvester’s Catholic Church, Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia: This historic church named in honour of Saint Sylvester, provides a picturesque sight with its unique bell tower and seaside location.
Church of San Silvestro, Venice: This ancient church was dedicated to Pope Saint Sylvester I. The original building dates back to the 11th century.
Abbaye de Saint-Sylvain: Located in France, this medieval abbey named after Saint Sylvester is known for its unique Gothic architecture and peaceful surroundings.
Saint Sylvester Parish, Medford, New York: This Catholic parish is dedicated to Saint Sylvester and serves as an active religious community, offering various services, activities and outreach programmes.
St Sylvester’s chapel in Brannockstown near Naas, associated with the Eustace family, a Norman dynasty. Again, there is uncertainty whether this church was associated with Bishop Silvester (of nearby Donard, venerated March 10) or Pope Sylvester (venerated December 31). The Normans propagandised that Saint Sylvester had accepted jurisdiction of Europe’s western islands from Constantine, which in turn gave the papacy the right to grant them to the Angevin empire and to conquer Ireland. The Constantin Donation was exposed as a forgery in 1439, which makes Laudabiliter a forgery based on a forgery (Adrian IV’s controversial Papal bull of 1155 which purportedly legitimised the invasion of Ireland).
Ossetia in Iran: In the 19th century, the nominally Christian Ossetians had a class of shaman-like soothsayers who would, on the eve of Saint Sylvester’s Day, undertake dream journeys to the land of the dead in order to ensure a bountiful harvest in the year to come.
Brazil: Aside from fireworks, the Saint Silvester Road Race, Brazil’s oldest and most prestigious running event, takes place on this day and is dedicated to him.
Israel: In Israel, New Year’s Eve is called Silvester. Celebrations are relatively modest compared to other countries, and the day is not an official holiday.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
