The patron saint of Calice Ligure is Saint Nicholas, also known as Saint Nicholas of Bari or of Myra. In the town, for a precise historical reason, two distinct observances are celebrated: the solemn feast, of purely religious character, on the first Sunday of May, with a ceremony and procession, and the liturgical feast, of religious and civil character, on 6 December, with a simple service and the closure of schools and public offices.
Until 1872, the patron was celebrated exclusively on 6 December, Saint Nicholas's day, with a solemn ceremony celebrated by all the priests of the municipality, during which the faithful who had confessed and received communion gained a plenary indulgence. As early as 1871, however, the people had noted that 6 December was a poorly suited day for the feast, given the autumn climate and the short daylight hours: Don Bonagiunta Conio, giving voice to the people's wishes, sent a petition to the Holy See on 20 January 1872 through the Bishop of Savona, asking to move the religious festivity to the first Sunday of May. The request was approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites by decree of 22 February 1872, and on the first Sunday of May 1873 the new statue of the saint was inaugurated, made possible by donations from Calice's emigrants in America.
