topic Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month in Community Chat

October Is Italian Heritage Month

Oznell — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 15:50:01 GMT

Do you love Italy? What are your favorite aspects of Italian culture? Let me count the ways, ha. (They are clearly almost too numerous to list, at least for me.)

On my one trip to Europe, my favorite country turned out to be Italy. Wasn't expecting that, but even at 16, was bowled over by the beauty, the history, and the almost palpable warmth and loveliness of the people. Both Italy the country, and Italian Americans have contributed so much to the world's joy.

Literature, art, FOOD (ha), music, films. From Dante's "Divine Comedy", to the director Vittorio de Sica's filmed poignancy, "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis"; from Oriana Fallaci to Frank Sinatra; from Federico Fellini to Giorgio Armani, and on and on.

Speaking of Armani, there'd have to be a whole separate category for what Italy has given the world in fashion-- shoes, knits, exquisite tailoring...

Oh, too much to recount.

Favorite city: Venice

Favorite food: linguini frutti de mare, ANYTHING Alfredo.

Favorite actors: Marcello Mastroianni, Anna Magnani, Giulietta Masina

Favorite directors: Fellini, Lina Wertmuller

Artist: Joseph Stella

Chef: Lidia Bastianich

Yours?

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

Laura14 — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:15:00 GMT

My favorite aspect is me.

My Sicilian DNA may get me into trouble at times but not many people mess or get over on me and I'll take that comfort, especially in today's world, any day of the week.

And there is no one, no one on the face of the earth, that can out argue an Italian. No way! Our passion good and bad is legendary for a reason.

In the words of Sophia Petrillo, the Italian grandmother we all had:

"We know how to make love and sing opera. We also throw priests out windows."

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

meallen616 — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:53:43 GMT

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

AngusandBuddhasMom — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 17:13:12 GMT

I'll pass.

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

songbird — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 18:10:21 GMT

I like being born in Italy. I like being a citizen there too. i also love being Northern Italian!

So Blond Voyage...

http://www.blondvoyage.com/single-post/2015/07/17/Italy-the-North-vs-South-Divide

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

RoughDraft — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 18:40:21 GMT

I thought October was National Polish Heritage month. Are they sharing?

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

Oznell — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 19:34:01 GMT

RoughDraft, they must be! I just googled it and it IS also Polish Heritage Month! Thanks for the tip. Poland has such a long and storied history.

Great Poles include Copernicus, the composer Chopin, Marie Curie, Lech Walesa, the brilliant poet Czeslaw Milosz. (I'm afraid I'm mangling his name.)

Haven't been there, but have always thought of Poland as a fairy tale place with castles and meandering rivers, as in the Middle Ages. There are indeed some extraordinary castles there. Poland has had to fight over the centuries to retain its sovereignty and national identity, like other hardy cultures Hungary, and Finland to the north.

The Poles have a fascinating aristocracy going back centuries, like the storied Radziwill family.

And I always come back to the food-- great, heartening, yummy food. Yay, pierogies!

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

Oznell — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 19:43:01 GMT

Thanks for that link, Songbird1. Very interesting discussion as to the rich diversity within Italy. The differences keep things interesting, no? I can never decide if I like the cuisine of Northern Italy, with its cream and dairy based dishes, or the magnificent tomato-based cuisine of the South. Dilemmas, dilemmas!

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

songbird — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 19:48:11 GMT

@Oznell wrote:
Thanks for that link, Songbird1. Very interesting discussion as to the rich diversity within Italy. The differences keep things interesting, no? I can never decide if I like the cuisine of Northern Italy, with its cream and dairy based dishes, or the magnificent tomato-based cuisine of the South. Dilemmas, dilemmas!

People in the US think all of Italy is like the Pizza and pasta, etc. 90% of immigrants to the U.S. were from Southern Italy because of they were poor. Southern Italy is agricultural based economy. Northern Italy controlled the culture, the finance, government and the fashion, etc. Northern Italy has always been quite wealthy. Wealth was never distributed in all of Italy. Northern Italy is filled with green eyed blonds and rice instead of pasta.

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

Ms tyrion2 — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 19:51:27 GMT

I love the Italian culture and I am part Polish.

What a good month for me!

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

Noel7 — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 20:01:47 GMT

My daughter has an Italian godfather

He and I have been best friends for a very long time. He always gave a big Italian Christmas fish dinner. Course after course. I love him like a brother.

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

Noel7 — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 20:03:56 GMT

@Ms tyrion2

What a coincidence in time. I just bought two new pieces of Polish stoneware today, which I collect

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

Ms tyrion2 — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 20:08:28 GMT

@Noel7 wrote:
@Ms tyrion2

What a coincidence in time. I just bought two new pieces of Polish stoneware today, which I collect

Polish stoneware is beautiful. I haven't succumbed YET. Some day....

I still think we're related somewhere down the line @Noel7!

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

spiderw — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 20:19:41 GMT

My favorite aspects of my Italian culture are my family!!!!!! Actually my dad was Sicilian and my mom Slovak. Growing up and visiting the two sets of grandparents was an adventure in eating on both sides and to this day I love kielbasi as well as meatballs!!

I had the opportunity to visit Italy and loved it, Venice being my favorite city. I related because of my father and his siblings, aunts and uncles, who were proud of their ancestry and as a result I appreciated my back round even more.

As far as my Slovak side, they were a different culture in many ways and I loved and appreciated them as much. I would love to visit Slovakia and discover my roots on that side.

The only regret is that I didn't learn the languages growing up because my father and mother only spoke their language to their parents, they wanted us to speak English and be educated. That is how they thought at the time. I did take Italian in school though.

Thanks for taking me down memory lane!!!!

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

faeriemoon — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 20:23:48 GMT

@AngusandBuddhasMom wrote:
I'll pass.

So, I'm curious about your nic; was it chosen for Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio? Is "I'll pass" making some kind of statement? You chose an Italian nic, but sound like you are trying not to say something.

Just curious.

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

Pook — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 22:55:48 GMT

My maternal grandparents were from Northern Italy and my father's parents were from Poland so I can celebrate both. I just loved the crates of Torrone, chestnuts and other goodies that my grandmother's family would always send.

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

Noel7 — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 23:12:58 GMT

@Ms tyrion2 wrote:
@Noel7 wrote:
@Ms tyrion2

What a coincidence in time. I just bought two new pieces of Polish stoneware today, which I collect

Polish stoneware is beautiful. I haven't succumbed YET. Some day....

I still think we're related somewhere down the line @Noel7!

@Ms tyrion2

I’m sure I understand why 😁

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

puttypiesmom — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 00:57:17 GMT

@Laura14 wrote:
My favorite aspect is me.

My Sicilian DNA may get me into trouble at times but not many people mess or get over on me and I'll take that comfort, especially in today's world, any day of the week.

And there is no one, no one on the face of the earth, that can out argue an Italian. No way! Our passion good and bad is legendary for a reason.

In the words of Sophia Petrillo, the Italian grandmother we all had:

"We know how to make love and sing opera. We also throw priests out windows."

I believe you.

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

kelsey17 — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 02:45:40 GMT

Growing up most of my close girlfriends were Italian...i have to say....loved them and their families...such warm lovely people.....

Re: October Is Italian Heritage Month

AngusandBuddhasMom — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 18:55:13 GMT

@faeriemoon wrote:
@AngusandBuddhasMom wrote:
I'll pass.
So, I'm curious about your nic; was it chosen for Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio? Is "I'll pass" making some kind of statement? You chose an Italian nic, but sound like you are trying not to say something.

Just curious.

Yes it was. I'm from NJ the State that people seem to think is 100% Italian. It isn't nor am I. While I do have Italian relatives and I don't begrudge them their celebrations. I feel all ethnic groups deserve equal time. We all add to the fabric of this land. Some are just louder then others.