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Posts Tagged ‘Italian Foods’

Family Traditions and Treasured moments

My family “had” and I say that with disappointment, many traditions and treasured moments which I thought would be passed down. Instead they have gradually vanished as time went by. These times are etched in my soul and I just wish they never died.

I’ll start with the first holiday New Years Eve. When I was a child my mother and father would go to a club to celebrate New Years. My aunt was the one that babysat for my mother. There were three of us I was the oldest, we asked my aunt if we could see the New Year in. She agreed only if we watched Guy Lombardo, and we did.

She would have snacks for us and soda. I always enjoyed my aunts company even as a child.

One of the special moments was when my aunt babysat us. We asked her if we could stay up late. She told us yes but we have to watch what she wanted to see on TV. Some of the shows were Kate Smith, Jackie Gleason, and Lawrence Welk. Even though she let us stay up we would always fall asleep before the shows were over.

The next special moment was when either my father, uncle, or grandfather would take us to the Butcher shop, the Butcher shops are now replaced by the big food franchises. While we were waiting for the cold cut order the Butcher would give us kids a piece of the cold cuts that were ordered. We always wanted to go just for the piece of cold cuts. Now when I get cold cuts the meat cutters do not offer a slice.

My family lived in my grandfather’s three family house. The first floor was my father’s uncle’s family, the second floor was my grandfather’s and we lived on the top. These are the Italian descendants, my father’s parents. Because my grandfather and grandmothers’ name were Joseph and Josephine we celebrated their name day which is March 19th , St. Joseph’s Day. There were special Italian foods that were eaten on that day.

During the Easter season my grandfather or uncle would take us kids in to the North End in Boston to Haymarket Square. There they took us to some of the churches, many shops, fruit stands and pastry shops. We got to try some of the pastries. While we were there our mothers, grandmother and aunt were preparing food for Easter. This was the day before Easter.

On Easter morning we would go to Nonno ( grandfather ) and Nonna’s ( grandmother’s ) house, my father’s parents, on the second floor for Easter breakfast. This consisted of hard boiled eggs that were done with easter dies, artichoke with liver, Italian easter