Colorful Religious Festivals

race of the saints
Marco Di Lauro / Getty

Race of the Saints, Italy and the United States
The May 15 death of Italian Saint Ubaldo Baldassini is commemorated with a race through the streets by groups of runners carrying statues of Ubaldo, Saint Anthony and Saint George, each sitting atop a gigantic wooden pedestal. The tradition started in Gubbio, Italy — Ubaldo is the protector of the city — but it has also been adopted by the small town of Jessup, Penn., which runs an identical race every year on Memorial Day weekend.

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