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Cult and Occult in Italian-American Culture The Persistence of a Religious Heritage
by Rudolph J. Vecoli
"Pagan! Heathen! Idolator!" These were among the epithets hurled at the Italian immigrants around the turn of the century. In addition to being viewed as potential mafiosi or anarchists, the sons of Italy had the further onus of being regarded as the bearers of anti-Christian beliefs and practices. The "Italian Problem" in its religious manifestation had been discovered by American churchmen, both Catholic and Protestant, well before 1900. In the following decades much energy, money, and ink were expended in efforts to find solutions to this "problem." What exactly was the…
Halloween Italian Style ~ A focus on Food
by Songofthesea
Halloween Italian Style is now a Labor of Love for my RutaBella. We both tend to share the same affinities. I had been trying to create a post on Italian Halloween for quite awhile now. Alas, I just could not get it done in time ~ again! A few weeks later, I decided to just post my hurried mosh of notes collected. I was Happy that Rue enjoyed my post and twice as thrilled when she suggested using it on her own site! Once hearing this, I decided to repost a much…
Halloween Italian Style ~ Focus On Food 2
by Songofthesea
The next set of lore and recipes will focus on traditional "Halloween" Italian recipes that offer more sustenance, such as eggs, breads and soups.
From: The Catholic Cookbook 1965
The memorial feast for all departed ones in a common annual celebration was inaugurated by St. Odilo, Abbot of Cluny, in 1040. Rome approved this practice, and in the fourteenth century the "Commemoration of All Souls" was prescribed as a liturgical rite for the whole Church, to be held on November 2. Pope Benedict XV in 1915 allowed all…
Italian Christmas Eve : Feast of the Seven Fishes
Christmas, oppure (or) Festa Di Natale, begins with la vigilia a feast on Chrsitmas Eve (the vigil). This consists solely of fish dishes and pasta. NO MEAT. Of course you end la vigila in time for Midnight Mass.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes
On our table we had to have seven fish selections. Why seven? For the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The seven days of creation. In Biblical numerology, seven is a number of perfection. There is no set menu for this feast. In our casa the dishes were traditionally:
…
Campanilismo
By Laura Stortoni-Hager, from L'Italo Americano, January 2004
Capanilismo in Italian signifies absolute love and allegiance to one's own "campanile" (bell tower), to one's own "quartiere," one's own city, one's own region. Italians, as Luigi Barzini noted in his famous book, "The Italians," do not have a deep concept of national unity. A Venetian feels different from an Abruzzese, a Lombard feels very different from a Sicilian.
Within Tuscany, a Florentine feels very different from a Pisano, to the point that they have the proverb " Ƞmeglio un morto…
Fun Activities for the Home or Classroom
In Italy, Pasqua (Easter) is a very sacred season that is celebrated with many special customs and traditions. Easter Sunday is an important religious holiday and an important family celebration in Italy and America. Italian customs and traditions add so much to the beautiful celebration of Easter in America for families of Italian heritage and help teach the younger family members about the value of their Italian heritage.
Easter Sunday, the holiest day of the year, is a Christian festival…
Il Carnevale in Italia
Alessandra Stefani
Diversamente da quanto si potrebbe pensare il Carnevale in Italia ha origini molto antiche, risale a tradizioni precristiane, che si ricollegavano ai saturnali e ai lupercali, riti per la fertilitࠤella terra.
In alcune cittࠩnizia il 26 Dicembre, in altre a Capodanno o all?Epifania, in altre ancora alla Candelora, il 2 Febbraio, termina sempre il marted젣he precede il giorno delle Ceneri, che dࠩnizio alla Quaresima, periodo di digiuno, penitenza e purificazione che serve di preparazione alla Pasqua.
Durante il Carnevale tutto 蠰ermesso: allegria, balli,…
Medieval mural's tales of sorcery
John Hooper in Rome
Tuesday December 28, 2004
The Guardian
A mural which has come to light in Tuscany has been identified by a British university lecturer as the earliest surviving representation of witchcraft in Christian Europe.
A book published in Italy by George Ferzoco, director of the centre for Tuscan studies at the University of Leicester, argues that at least two of the women in the porno-erotic wall painting are sorceresses.
"I have no doubt that this is by…
The Feast of the Seven Fishes
On our table we had to have seven fish selections. Why seven? For the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The seven days of creation. In Biblical numerology, seven is a number of perfection. There is no set menu for this feast. In our casa the dishes were traditionally:
…
“Italian” anything is a misnomer
Campanilismo
By Laura Stortoni-Hager, from L'Italo Americano, January 2004
Capanilismo in Italian signifies absolute love and allegiance to one's own "campanile" (bell tower), to one's own "quartiere," one's own city, one's own region. Italians, as Luigi Barzini noted in his famous book, "The Italians," do not have a deep concept of national unity. A Venetian feels different from an Abruzzese, a Lombard feels very different from a Sicilian.
Within Tuscany, a Florentine feels very different from a Pisano, to the point that they have the proverb " Ƞmeglio un morto…
Buona Pasqua! Celebrating Italian Easter Traditions
Fun Activities for the Home or Classroom
In Italy, Pasqua (Easter) is a very sacred season that is celebrated with many special customs and traditions. Easter Sunday is an important religious holiday and an important family celebration in Italy and America. Italian customs and traditions add so much to the beautiful celebration of Easter in America for families of Italian heritage and help teach the younger family members about the value of their Italian heritage.
Easter Sunday, the holiest day of the year, is a Christian festival…
Il Carnevale in Italia
Alessandra Stefani
Diversamente da quanto si potrebbe pensare il Carnevale in Italia ha origini molto antiche, risale a tradizioni precristiane, che si ricollegavano ai saturnali e ai lupercali, riti per la fertilitࠤella terra.
In alcune cittࠩnizia il 26 Dicembre, in altre a Capodanno o all?Epifania, in altre ancora alla Candelora, il 2 Febbraio, termina sempre il marted젣he precede il giorno delle Ceneri, che dࠩnizio alla Quaresima, periodo di digiuno, penitenza e purificazione che serve di preparazione alla Pasqua.
Durante il Carnevale tutto 蠰ermesso: allegria, balli,…
Medieval mural’s tales of sorcery/Penis Tree: Fertility Symbol or Political Poster?
Medieval mural's tales of sorcery
John Hooper in Rome
Tuesday December 28, 2004
The Guardian
A mural which has come to light in Tuscany has been identified by a British university lecturer as the earliest surviving representation of witchcraft in Christian Europe.
A book published in Italy by George Ferzoco, director of the centre for Tuscan studies at the University of Leicester, argues that at least two of the women in the porno-erotic wall painting are sorceresses.
"I have no doubt that this is by…
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Rue's Kitchen is dedicated to the fight against the cultural violence committed against practitioners of stregoneria (traditional Italian witchcraft) and Benedicaria* (Italian folk healing/magic and spiritual rituals of blessing a.k.a the things we do) by self-proclaimed Italian witches [sic] and certain authors claiming that there was and still is a secret society pre-dating Christianity that practiced and continues to practice witchcraft as a religion in Italy.
Amongst people of southern Italian descent, Italians and North American-Italians alike, there is a tradition which is passed from mother to daughter, father to son, zia to nipote, commara to commarella, etc. This tradition is very rich, and in it will be found the rituals and prayers for the outward expression of one's inner spirituality for every phase and condition of one's life.