A young boy carries a flag with portrait of Virgin and his son during a...

A young boy carries a flag with portrait of Virgin and his son during a procession in honour of Naples patron Saint Gennaro in central Naples, 3 May, 2003. The Neapolitan faithful believe the dried blood of their patron St. Gennaro, which liquifies in a twice-yearly miracle. Cheers went up among the 3,000 strong congregation when an aide to the cardinal waved a white hankerchief as a signal that the blood had become liquid. Italian scientists have confirmed that the substance is blood but have not discovered why it liquifies regularly. The miracle has been recorded on set dates twice a year, almost without fail for the past 600 years.