When Mrs. Angela Giulione was growing up in Mondragone, Caserta, Campania in the 1930s the Feast Day of Saint Sylvester was celebrated on January 1st. To celebrate his feast day children would knock on their neighbors' doors and sing the following song: "San Sylvester was born early and now we are here and give us something to eat." Some of the older children also beat kitchen utensils with a stick and made music while they sang the little song. Apparently, children limited their visits to their neighbors' houses. They did not go and knock on the doors of their immediate families if they lived too far from them. Generally, most households would receive visits from only a few groups of children (about three or four). Traditionally, those children who knocked on their neighbors' doors and sang their little song were given "trecce" (braided sweet taralli) as gifts.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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