'Italian New Year!'
~Blog Post #2~
April 12th, 2015
Brandon Dechter
The people in Italian culture consider food to be important because it is tradition. In Italian culture, the food is often tradition and has been made for so long in different ways that they continue to carry out the same recipes and such. Italians celebrate many feast days and holidays, some being similar to ours. January 1, for example, is Capodanno(New Year's Day), similar to ours while April 25 is the Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day), an annual national holiday commemorating the 1945 liberation ending World War II in Italy is unique just to Italians. On New Year's Day, Capodanno, Italians bring out a large variety of foods, music, and rituals to celebrate.
For Italians, Capodanno is the culmination of holiday celebration that has already been underway for weeks. It represents a time for family, a time for community, a feast of holiday food and drink and symbolizes a time to wash away the past year in the hope of a prosperous New Year. It is no ordinary New Year’s; the evening begins with a traditional dish, “cotechino e lenticchie” Cotechino is a delicious fresh pork sausage, sold either partially pre-cooked or raw. The meat consists of “lo zampone,” the hoof of the pig, a symbol of abundance and bountifulness as represented by the meat’s high fat content, richness, and flavor. Lenticchie are believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year to those who eat them on New Year’s Eve. That is one of the many odd rituals, such as red undergarments for good luck and fortune for the year ahead. Italians also celebrate with more common ways to us such as with lights, music, more food, and fireworks.
Filippo, Michael. "Italian Holidays - Holidays in Italy - List of Italian Holidays." Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://italian.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/aa072308a.htm>.
"5 Peculiar Italian New Year's Eve Traditions! | Espresso."Espresso. 30 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://selectitaly.com/blog/all-you-can-italy/new-years-eve-traditions/>.
Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.made-in-italy.info/UserFiles/image/capodanno.jpg>.
The Italians are very proud people, I think you did a good job of explaining how food can be a big part of their family. By carrying down family recipes, the Italians honor and carry on the traditions and accomplishments of their ancestors. Although each dish may change throughout time, many families have their own special touch to something that makes it more important and unique to their specific heritage.
ReplyDelete