6. Good Omen Announcement

On the morning of September 19th, hosts of the festival will announce the liquefaction of San Gennaro’s 1,712 year-old blood at the church where it’s kept: the Naples Cathedral. The blood of San Gennaro, who died in 305 A.D., is kept in a vial and liquefies three times a year.

When the dark brown blood crystals liquefy quickly, it is seen as a good omen of things to come. However, if the blood fails to liquefy (or if it takes hours/days to do so), it is a signal of “impending disaster.”