The confraternity is an association principally of laics, but the participation of religious and clergymen is not excluded. It differs from the third order because the tertiary depend strictly by a religious order and obey to a rule approved of by the Holy See, while every confraternity conforms to a charter and its members are simple believers. It constitutes collegial moral persons and for that they can have their own properties. The occasion during which the confraternity shows himself as a structured group, is the procession and everyone of them has its own uniform, its flag and its own emblem. The uniform comprises the tunic or Il sacco, the cape or mazzetta, the visor or coppa, the belt or fascia. When the confraternities participate to the procession, not in solemn manner, they wear the abitino (a double cloth chest strap, bringing the emblem of the confraternity, on and behind). In Gangi, there are fourteen confraternities that can participate to the processions, only if they are invited by the confraternity that organizes the Saint's festivity.

POPULAR TRADITIONS

"Fari a San Giuseppi": people in Gangi feel Saint Giuseppe's festivity very much. The celebration in honour of the Saint begin some weeks beforehand, with religious celebrations, " i sittini ". The event is preceded by the procession of the Child Jesus statue, " U Bamminiddu " for the streets of the town. At the same time, it is celebrated in two churches, respectively called the Rich's Saint Giuseppe and the Poor's Saint Giuseppe, where " u pani di San Giuseppi " is distributed to the believers (it is a sandwich offers by some believers for vow). Some weeks after, with the arrival of the beautiful time, some family uses to organize for vow, " a tavulata di San Giuseppi ", in the past offered to the poor people. It consists in offering a characteristic lunch to the persons, essentially pasta with lentils, fried stockfish, boiled fennels, an orange, water and wine.

"I Cumpari": it consists in a lunch or a supper organized by a group of friends in the Thursdays that precede the fat Thursday; precisely they are: The Thursday " di l'amici ", that one " di Cumpari " and that one " di cummari ". Its but is to strengthen a friendship. In the Thursday of the " cumpari " the participants are all men, instead in that one of " cummare " all women. Today, differently than in the past, both sexes are present in all the three Thursdays.

"A ’ntinna": it is a recreational moment often introduced in religious occasion of a lot festivities. It consists in a competition, carried out in the first hours of the afternoon, on the square of the churches. A big number of ceramic pots " i pignati ", well covered in order to hide the contents, are hung to a string, of which one extremity is manoeuvred by a person. The bound contender, with a stick in his hand should break off so as to get the prize. Among all the pots, generally filled up of little pullets, sausage and sweets, there is only one filled up of water or black smoke that will reduce the unlucky concurrent bathed or black. The manifestation is cheered by the music of the local band.

"A manciata di vicchi": in the occasion of the SS Crucified festivity it was tradition to offer a meal to the poor people of the town. This tradition has been handed on, even if today children consume the meal instead of poor people. The meal is prepared in the house of the Treasurer of the confraternity of the Salvatore, then accompanied by the musical band until the square of the SS Salvatore church, where it is consumed on a prepared table, over a theatre box . The meal consists in maccheroni with tomato gravy, places in the " maidda " (the rectangular wooden container), meat-balls and fruits.