Growing up at Italian feasts...
From the time I could walk, and probably even before, Italian feasts were part of my life. At first just as an attendee at one of our local NJ festivals, St. Joseph's in Lodi or St. Ann's in Hoboken but as our family business grew my involvement also grew. I started out selling soda at our sausage stand and by the time I could drive I was running torrone stands from Brooklyn to the North End during summer break. The excitement that you notice at a festival is infectious. In some Italian-American communities these festivals are anticipated as much as Christmas! A feast can be steeped in religion and associated with a patron saint that is carried through the streets or the focus may be more on Italian music or a certain food. No matter at which festival I worked, you could see the pride that the locals took in celebrating their heritage and it made me proud to be Italian. Join us at a feast this summer!
Leave a comment