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Recently I was paging through one of my favorite books Festivals and Folkways of Italy by Frances Toor. Toor (1890-1956) was an ethnologist who traveled through Italy shortly after World War II. She spent eight months in Italy experiencing and writing about the festivals, crafts, foods and traditions of the “peasant” Italians. She believed that the “richest” traditions and folk arts belonged to the poor.
In her book, Toor describes Neapolitans as intelligent, generous and capable of great friendship. She then notes how they are good workers but do not like working under bosses. As a result they try to eke out a living by selling something or working in their crowded bassi (one room apartments). Toor states that she saw little of the dolce far niente (sweet laziness) which Neapolitans are famous for.

She offered the following story as an example of dolce far niente.
A fisherman asleep on the shore in the shade of his rowboat was awakened by a friend who said to him,”Wake up Giovanni, a big passenger ship with many foreigners has just come in!”

Continue reading “Dolce far niente”

A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy

It’s the day before Christmas, and Jimmy and his best friend—his dog, Blackie—are visiting Nonna, Jimmy’s grandma, in her neighborhood called Little Italy. Jimmy loves to visit with Nonna, especially when he can help her make biscotti. After they finish their baking, Jimmy, Nonna, and Blackie set out together on the wintry day to take packages of the freshly baked biscotti to St. Michael the Archangel Church, where the cookies will be given to poor families on Christmas Eve. But as they leave the church, a bus making a sudden stop startles Blackie, and the little dog runs off through the neighborhood. All too soon, Jimmy realizes that Blackie is lost. Even though Jimmy and Nonna search everywhere, the quickly falling snow covers up Blackie’s paw prints, making it impossible to follow him. Will Jimmy’s Christmas be a sad one without his best friend?

A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy is a heartwarming tale of a boy and his dog, set against the backdrop of a 1950s-era Italian neighborhood. The endearing and evocative images and child-friendly narrator’s voice will enchant young readers (and listeners), transporting them to a time gone by—a time of simple pleasures and special relationships. The inclusion of Nonna’s biscotti recipe at the end of the book—a real taste of Little Italy—is an added treat that children and adults alike will love. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Kathleen Muth Reading Center at Chapman University. For more information, please visit www.chapman.edu.

To buy the book from the author, go to <http://www.achristmasadventure.com/>. The book is also available through amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.

October 6, 2012, the Amici Italiani Youth & Adult Dance Troupes of Rockford, Illinois, had the honor of being inducted into the Greater Rockford Italian American’s Hall Of Fame! Congratulations!!

As the Ambassador of San Juan Capistrano’s Sister City Program, IFAFA Member Vicky Carabini had the idea of creating a festival that celebrates the art and culture of Italy, in the city of San Juan Capistrano, CA. Out of that idea was born Ferragosto in San Juan Capistrano, a non-profit, volunteer-staffed, family-friendly free event. Major event partners are the Boys and Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, J. Serra Catholic High School, and the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce. The event, focusing on Italian culture, crafts, and art, will next be offered in 2013. It will include Italian Street Painting in which the street becomes the canvas and pastels, the paint. One of the accomplishments of the organization was to raise funds to have the award-winning audio tour on the website for the Historic Mission San Juan Capistrano translated into Italian. You can listen to it at:

http://missionsjc.com/tours/audio.php

Continue reading “Italians in San Juan Capistrano, California”