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Calabria | | Date: 1925 | | Notes: Caption: Calabria 1925 Cimiterod San Giovanni Fiore." | Contributed by: courtesy of Italian Wikipedia
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Terlizzi, Puglia, Italy | | Date: 1948 | | Notes: The funeral of Gemma Forliano's grandfather, Pasquale delle Fontane. | Contributed by: Gemma Forliano
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Terlizzi, Puglia, Italy | | Date: 1948 | | Notes: Funeral of Gemma Forliano's grandfather, Pasquale delle Fontane. | Contributed by: Gemma Forliano
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Termoli, Molise, Italy | | Date: 1920s | | Notes: "Funerale." From the book: "C'era una volta... a Termoli" edited by Carlo Cappella and Giorgio Giovannetti, published by Zienda Autonoma di Soggiorno e Turismo di Termoli, 1989. | Contributed by: Tony De Palma
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Casacalenda, Molise, Italy | | Date: 1955 | | Notes: The contributor's grandmother, Assunta Melfi, is wearing "mourning clothes." In Italy when someone in the family died, be it a husband or a father, or any other immediate family member, women were expected to dress in black for a number of years. Custom dictated that widows dress in black for the rest of their natural lives, except, of course, if they remarried, in which case they could then wear whatever color of clothes they liked. | Contributed by: Mary Melfi
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Casacalenda, Molise, Italy | | Date: Current | | Notes: The contributor's maternal great grandfather had a long and eventful life. | Contributed by: Mary Melfi
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Funderal Food -- Casacalenda, Molise | | Date: 1930s | | Notes: Prior to World War II it was the custom in Molise to prepare chicken soup on the day of a funeral. Generally, the soup was prepared by close relatives of the bereaved family. However, as chicken meat was relatively expensive at that time, not everyone could afford to make it and offer it to their loved ones. According to my mother those who could not afford to make chicken soup with flaked chicken breast meat (considered the best part of the chicken), added beaten egg to the broth. The poorest of the poor would offer the bereaved any food they had on hand -- including "pasta e fagiole." It was assumed that the family that experienced a death of a loved one should be given food for obvious reasons -- firstly, because they understood that if a family had to take care of a funeral they would not have the time or energy to cook, and secondly, it was a way to show their love and support in a time of sorrow. For recipes see Italy Revisited/Recipes/ "Italian Soups".... Photo: by the contributor..... N.B. It's interesting to note that of all the rituals and customs Italians discarded when they came over to North America the ones associated with funerals top the list. Not only do most second-generation Italians favor the North American attitude towards funerals (i.e., Let's "celebrate" the deceased's life, rather than "mourn" his death), they also have decided that it is no longer the responsibility of the extended family to bring food to the bereaved. Like their North American counterparts Italian immigrants now expect the bereaved to pay for a wake -- preferably at a nice Italian restaurant. | Contributed by: Mary Melfi
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Casacalenda, Molise, Italy | | Date: 1930s | | Notes: According to local tradition pallbearers had to make sure that when they carried the deceased through a door or passageway his feet (rather than his head) would go through the opening first. The reason for this was simple -- when one walks one puts out one's feet first (rather than one's head), so it was understood the deceased should have the same privilege. At a funeral mass, a coffin would be carried in such a way that the deceased was brought into the church (feet first) and then at the end of the funeral mass, when the coffin was brought out, the coffin would be turned around so that the individual's feet would go out through the church door first. The crucifix that adorned the coffin would also be placed in such a way that the feet of Jesus Christ would go through the doorway first. | Contributed by: Notes by Mrs. Rosina Melfi; image, NYPL Digital Gallery, #1224153
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