Sicilian Culture: Comments from Visitors

Sicilian Culture
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Comments from Visitors

4.13.2000 The section on the sunday gravy was my household to the T. It was unreal to read it in print. We had macaroni Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday . Thank you for this beautiful site. I am proud to be Sicilian! Amore!!! aafish

Being Sicilian always felt unique and exciting to me, even though I grew up in a very provincial, WASP-y area of upstate New York. Then, as an adult, I had the delightful experience of going to Sicily with my mother, who speaks the dialect fluently. We stayed in Aspra, a beautiful coastal fishing village near Palermo, in the home my maternal grandfather was born in. The entire town turned out to meet my mother, and to share stories of "Su Bennedetto "(my grandfather) and what a wonderful man he was-- even though he'd left there as a twenty year old. I have never encountered a warmer community of people, let alone such a beautiful climate, and a land filled with history and cultural beauty. I long to go back, and am saving every dime." July 27, 1999 -- Rosie Taravella - - Actress & Screenwriter, Los Angeles, California (webmaster's note: Rosie wrote and starred in "Carlo's Wake" with Martin Landau and Rita Moreno, about the life, death and funeral of a Sicilian-American patriarch, and the effect it has on his dyfunctional yet loving family. The film is currently seeking distribution.)

Thank you for letting me feel close to home -- chipper

Hi, Came across your site while looking for info on The Sopranos and was immediately drawn to it. It has some interesting sections filled with informative information that any Italian-American, such as myself, would enjoyed reading. Stati forte! Nicola "Nick" Marchione, Boston, MA

I'm a 41 year old female and i was born in Termini Emerese Sicily. I moved to the United States when I was 9 years old with my family. Im proud to call myself Sicilian. My parents worked very hard to provide a great home and an execellent education for 5 children. Im a Registered Nurse. I have to brothers that teach High school and college. I have a sister who works in a bank and one brother who owns a very popular local resturant. We all did well being products of immagrants who didnt could not speak or write english. Thanks so a great web site - - Maria

Hi, I really enjoyed your site... God I'm starving now. Man...you brought me back. Thanks again, Richard

I am of Sicilian decent and I am very proud of my heritage. I would like to see more chat rooms on this site. It would be great to communicate with others from our culture. I live in the Pacific Northwest now and miss the East Coast. Keep up the good work. Anthony Grifasi

Hello... I stumbled on to Sicilian Culture quite by accident and was pleasantly surprised. It's a great balance of fun and information. I especially enjoyed the list of Italian celebrities. It brought me back to the days when I attended a Parochial grade school affiliated with an Italian nationality parish and the nuns would make sure we knew EXACTLY who was Italian and Catholic. Anyway, I'll be visiting often. My Italian heritage is the most important thing in the world to me...... Thanks, Jim Montemurro

It was a pleasure to see your website.I always considered myself italian but now i consider myself sicilian first and italian second.I take great pride in being sicilian.I hope in the future you can talk about the sicilian culture more,the accomplishments of the sicilian people and the island itself. Thanks, a fellow sicilian

I was born in Brooklyn NY of first generation Sicilian-Americans. My family was always warm, loving and above all, law-abiding. I don't need to apologize for my background. Your website boasts of being educational. What I object to are some of the factual inaccuracies and to your focus on organized crime. Only a tiny fraction of Sicilian-Americans and Italian-Americans are criminals. As a matter of fact, as a group, Italian-Americans have one of the lowest crime rates in the US Please be proud of your ethnicity and focus on our accomplishments and stop pandering to those that equate Italian to Mafia. You have a unique opportunity to make us proud. -- Name, address, email and location omitted by author.

I am 30 female, 100 % Sicilian and Proud! Heck someones gotta run the country why not be the Sicilians! - - - Lisa Marie, ERS Dispatcher, San Diego, California

Hello there. You did a great job on your webpage... and all of your links. Keep up the good work. I am obviously of another generation.... but I enjoyed your thoughts and ideas . I, too, am of Sicilian heritage. My grandparents are from Palermo... they came over in the early 1900's and settled on the California coast (most Sicilians settled near water for obvious reasons... most of them had connections. My grandfather was a commercial fisherman. He had eleven children... 8 girls and 3 boys. Only one aunt remains and she is 89 years old. However, I have many cousins! Some of us don't even know each other... too many of us. I spoke Sicilian when I was young and my grandmother was alive... my mother and her sisters used to rattle on, all talking at once... (rather noisy), but fun, and everyone loved one another. I especially have fond memories of all the family get-togethers around the holidays or any celebration (Baptism, Graduation, Wedding, Birthdays, Funerals). Lots of food and drink, dancing, good laughter). I miss those times, as it is just not the same without the "oldtimers" around. It is a different time now and my cousins and their families are very busy doing their own thing. We try to make an effort to get together once in a while but it is very difficult. We are all scattered around the state and are very much involved with our own immediate families. My mother's maiden name was AIELLO and my grandmother's name was MECURIO. We are also related to CARDINALE, BILLECI, COSTANZA, DI MAGGIO (Yes, Joe, was a cousin), DAVI, BRUNO, and many more... Haven't travelled to Sicily yet.... maybe one day. I have been to Central Europe several times, also travelled all over Canada, Mexico, Mainland China as well as Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia. I like the U.K. (Englalnd, Scotland, Wales) and of course, Ireland. Germany......very beautiful.....great food! Nice to visit your page.

First I want to say that you have a wonderful web site, Sicilian websites are few on the net (Atleast the good ones). I looked at the recipes and tried them at home! Emmm sooo good! Especially the Garlic Bread, that was really good! Thank You!

I think your website does an awesome job of not only explaining Sicilian culture, but also what it means to be Sicilian (or from Italian descent). I notice that most traditions you mentioned on you site, my family still practices (like the Christmas Eve dinner and meatless Good Fridays to name a couple) but it is sad to see that people let some pass. I really enjoyed you web site and keep up the good work! Mike