Venetians Celebrate Festa del Bocolo on April 25

The city's sweetest annual ritual arrives on April 25. Festa del Bocolo — the Feast of the Rosebud — is St. Mark's Day, the feast of Venice's patron saint, and Venetian tradition dictates that every Venetian man presents his beloved with a single red rose, a "bòcolo," on this day. The custom has held since the Middle Ages, and on the morning of April 25 flower vendors set up across the city, the Basilica di San Marco holds a festive mass, and Piazza San Marco fills with the particular Venetian blend of religious observance and affectionate public ritual.

The day also functions as the feast of the Venetian Republic — on display are the colors and symbols of a city that was an independent maritime power for more than a thousand years. Official ceremonies include the raising of the Venetian flag with the winged lion in Piazza San Marco, and a civic procession from the Rialto to the Basilica.

If you're visiting: the flower vendors near Rialto Bridge are the traditional stops for a bòcolo. The Basilica's Festa mass is open to the public. Arrive early for a spot in the Piazza.

Sources: Views on Venice, La Biennale di Venezia