Catholic Influences in Italian Culture

Buon Natale (Merry Christmas)

Many Italians living in the United States observe the Catholic religion.They continue to participate in traditions surrounding the Christian holiday of Christmas. These traditions began many generations ago throughout the homeland.There are over 17 million Italian-Americans living in the U.S. The Northeast is home to most Italians in the U.S. In Conn., 18.6 percent of the population are of Italian heritage. Many of these Italians celebrate holiday traditions that have been passed on through the generations.

In the United States the most recognized holiday tradition is the Christmas tree. Throughout the Italian community the symbol of the season is the presepio (the manger). The manger symbolizes the birth of Jesus, and a baby Jesus is placed inside on Christmas morning. Maria Franchi of Orlando Florida has been putting up a presepio since she was young.

“Ever since I was little, I have has a Presepio in my house, said Franchi. It reminds you of that the Christmas season is about celebrating the birth of Jesus.”

A traditional Presepio. Photo from cancanova.com.

Another tradition is to cook and eat seven different types of fish on Christmas Eve. The traditionally prepared fish symbolize the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Sebastiano LaRosa of Conn. discusses his Christmas Eve Traditions.

“Every year my family and relatives get together and hold a huge feast on Christmas Eve, which it is usually held at my aunt’s house, said La Rosa. My aunt usually cooks all the fish that we will be eating for that feast. We prepare 7 fish to represent the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.”

On Christmas Day it is typical to go to mass either at midnight or in the morning. The holiday is celebrated with a large amount of food and the whole family gathers around the table. The day is filled with many different Italian dishes; most meals contain some form of pasta. Around the holidays, many Italian desserts are made. Some of the treats made for the season are struffoli (fried puffs dipped in honey), Pizzelle (thin cookie wafers), and Panettone (a sweet bread) .

Traditional Panettone

After eating, it is typical to play a popular Italian bingo game called tombola or play card games such as briscola and scopa.

Many people know the story of the epiphany and the three kings, but Italians have told an old folk story about la befana for centuries. La befana is an old woman who, as the story goes, was asked to follow the star by the three kings to see the birth of Jesus.  The befana declined the offer and was later asked to follow the star by a shepherd and again declined. Later, the befana decided to follow the star but she never found Jesus. Now, every year after Christmas she goes searching for Jesus and leaves every boy and girl she sees along the way a small toy if they behaved and leaves coal behind for those who misbehaved.

Although Italy is a world away from the United States many Italian Americans participate in traditions from the “old country” over the Christmas holiday season, bridging the gap created by the Atlantic Ocean.

Italian Christmas Traditions

Every culture has traditions surrounding major holidays. There are many Italians outside of Italy, that continue to celebrate traditions that began in the homeland. Each individual who participates and partakes in the Italian Christmas traditions has their own personal story and variations to share.

Saint Lucy
The Saint Lucy Society has been celebrating the life and death of St. Lucy for over 80 years. Alessandra Burgio Gugliotti speaks about the society, the saint, and her personal experiences.
Santa Lucia

Statue of St. Lucy at Saint Luke Parish in Hartford, Ct

 

Celebrating the Saints

Saints play a large role in Italian culture. They are celebrated on their feast day with a mass and a parade. This celebration of Saints continues today in both Italian and Italian-American culture.

Italian Saints and How they are Celebrated on Dipity.

Italian-Americans North v. South (Connecticut v. Florida) and Radio Italia

The Italian-American community is represented in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The northeast has the highest percentages of Italians in the United States. Connecticut has the second largest percent of Italians in the country with 18.6% of the state population. New Haven County is home to 201,069 Italians and Hartford County is home to 134,654. When it was speculated that Conn. may have edged out Rhode Island to be first, the Italian community in Providence spoke out. Those in the Northeast community are very passionate about their culture.

Many southern states also have large numbers of Italian-American residents. Florida has 1,003, 977 Italian-American residents. Although Fla has more Italian-American residents than Ct, it appears that the idea of Italian heritage and culture seems stronger up north.

Phyllis Summa, a resident of both Fla. and Conn. agrees that the Italian culture is stronger in the northeast. According to the Order of the Sons of Italy they have 16 events in Connecticut and six in Florida for 2010.

“Up north there are activities every weekend in the community, but in florida there are more neighborhood activities versus cultural activities. Italians in Conn. are much more connected and intertwined. When my husband and I lived in Conn., we went to an event at least once a month, I think we have only been to a handful of cultural events since living in Florida. There are only a few Italian clubs in Florida like the Sons of Italy, Summa Said.”

Why does it seem that the community is more united and involved in the northeast?

Giovanni Vianello, former President of the now disbanded Club Culturale Italiano of Greater Orlando discusses why Italians up north are more united.

“The north has a much larger percentage of Italians per state than the southern states do, said Vianello. Here in Florida the areas that have the largest Italian population are Miami and Fort Lauderdale, where the consulate is.”

Connecticut is also a much smaller state geographically than Florida. Therefore, residents live in much closer proximities. This makes it easier for a large group to gather around a particular central area.

Is this lack of participation because Italian-Americans in Florida live in different communities and are more spread out?

“The community here in central Florida has about 2500-3000 Italians, said Vianello. Not everybody is registered with the consulate; probably many of them do not care; some of them for many different reasons do not want to be involved at all with other Italians. Club Culturale Italiano failed because it was the same few families who were the only ones participating.”

Though the Italian community in Connecticut seems more united than in Florida, it seems to be on the path to decline. With less participation from the younger generations the clubs and societies in place today may longer be able to survive.

Connecticut and Florida resident Tony Leone believes that participation from  the younger generations is necessary. “It is hard to determine how long that all these clubs can sustain themselves, said Leone. With most society members being older, the younger people must begin to participate or eventually there will not be anymore Italian cultural clubs.”

A.S. Maulucci discusses the lack of involvement from the younger generations and the changing culture in his article “On Writers and Writing:Authors recount authentic Italian-American experience.”

The need for the younger generation to participate is evident across the country. Once the younger generations begins to evolve from the guido culture to Italian culture the community should be revised.

Radio Italia

Quintino Cianfaglione has been broadcasting an Italian radio program in Connecticut for decades. He discusses how he started and the involvement of the younger generations.