While visiting Venice, we had the pleasure of being there for the Festa del Redentore. This feast is celebrated annually to commemorate the end of the plague of the Sixteenth Century.
After the plague, a magnificent church, the Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore, or Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, was built in honour of His intercession on behalf of the people of Venice. A bridge of boats is built across the Grand Canal for the weekend to allow the faithful to attend Masses at the church, which is located on an island across the canal from the main city. The bridge is disassembled after the feast. It has been thus for over four hundred years. Regattas are held in the canals, along with the blessing of the boats.
Which set me to thinking: The World Health Organization has just declared the H1N1 pandemic over. Shouldn't we at least have a barbecue and put up a plaque or something?