Preserving Calabrese Traditions & Folklore in Australia
by Roy Fazzalari and Joycie Strangio
Each summer the annual backyard ritual of making “Conserva”
(tomato sauce for pasta) is testimony to the many cultural
traditions and customs, which Calabrian families have maintained
since migrating to Australia.
Scratch the surface of this important annual event and you
will find a range of cultural, social, and linguistic practices,
which have not only endured, but in many cases have strengthened
in recent years.
In most Calabrese homes in Australia you will find that the
village dialect is proudly still in use, if somewhat contaminated
by the infiltration many English words.
Culinary habits have survived and have been passed on to
the next generation. Food preparation and preservation is
still critical to the Calabrese family.
By way of Italian Radio stations hosted by their very own
local paesani, the Calabrian culture is constantly exposed
for all to experience.
Calabrese communities hold many religious festivals in honour
of their regional patron saints.
In many parishes Mass is celebrated in Italian with the church
providing not only religious but also a vital opportunity
for social interaction. Weddings and funerals provide the
social links for dispersed communities.
Thankfully, Calabrian migrants have maintained many traditions
brought with them. In doing so, they have unwittingly contributed
to the changing face of multicultural society in Australia.
In spite of the hardships endured by our forefathers who left
their homes and families to then be confronted with prejudice,
indifference and misunderstanding, Calabrians brought to Australia
natural survival skills and attitudes which assisted in their
successful intergration in a foreign country. Many of those
skills and attitudes endure today.
Language - Dialect
In Australia we are blessed with a policy of multi-culturalism
whereby linguistic diversity is respected. Therefore, it is
not uncommon to find fourth generation Calabrian/Australian
children speaking the family dialect in some form or another.
The first arrivals, who may have been oblivious to community
prejudices, had no choice other than to speak to their children
in dialect. It was the only language they knew.
For many current second generation Calabrese it may be more
natural for them to speak English in the home and as a consequence
many third generation Calabrese/Australians are indebted to
their grandparents for their knowledge of some form of the
family dialect. Whilst having a weakened linguistic knowledge
they seem to realise the value of the family dialect and its
importance in maintaining fading links with their family culture.
Today, many Calabrian/Australian children will often include
words and phrases chosen from their family dialect into their
everyday English speech. At times it appears that a new sub-language
has emerged. It is not uncommon to hear an 18-year-old Calabrian
youth proudly intermix dialect words in an English sentence,
for example, “capiscisti”, “mangiasti”,
“ijamunindi” together with many common unquotable
Calabrian profanities.
Examples of this linguistic phenomenon may be witnessed in
many Australian schoolyards where Calabrian youths gather
in groups and proudly play-out and show off their knowledge
of the family dialect. Whilst they make fun of each other
they are, in reality, performing an important function; keeping
the diminishing use of the Calabrian dialect alive and well
in Australian suburbia. Interestingly it is from these groups
of proud Calabrian/Australians that many of our Doctors and
Lawyers etc, are emerging
Food
One of the most enduring lessons taught to Australian neighbours
is that food and eating is an occasion rather than a mundane
necessity. Like most Italians, Calabrians “Live to Eat”.
Old traditions such as sauce making, slaughtering the pig,
making olive oil to name a few, endure and continue to grow
in popularity.
Look in the refrigerator or pantry of most third generation
Calabrians and you will find traditional foods in abundance.
Recipes for which have been brought to Australia and handed
down from grandmother.
Food is also central to the many religious and secular festivals
which occur in abundance in Australia each year. At the many
Italian Festivals people line up to buy the zeppole made according
to old village-recipes. The volunteer cooks can barely prepare
them fast enough. In fact, most Calabrian regions are represented
at the many Italian Festivals, each selling traditional Calabrian
food such as trippa, salsiccie, lupino, etc.
Private rituals of Calabrian-Australian life continue to
include the slaughtering of a pig or goat which, for many
Calabrian families, is still an important necessity in Australia.
Taking place in the suburban backyard, families share the
cost and everyone helps in some way. Ironically this important
event usually takes place on the Queen’s birthday long-weekend.
For the traditional Calabrese family, this is a public holiday
not to be wasted!
Many customs, once performed in the privacy of the backyard
with only family and invited paesani attending, have now become
totally acceptable and rather trendy. No longer is it embarrassing
to make tomato sauce, sausages, wine, olive oil, or to grow
your own vegetables and herbs. These are no longer peasant’s
secrets to be kept hidden from the Australian neighbours who
viewed us as rather odd, foreign and exotic. Rather it is
seen for what it is; a sensible alternative to processed food,
which places the Calabrian family firmly in control of what
they eat. Today we smile privately as the Anglo’s trumpet
the discovery of the goodness of the Mediterranean diet. Much
do we Calabrians reminisce the days when the Anglo’s
did not appreciate calamari or olive oil. Today universal
demand has made these commodities far too expensive. For a
long time we Calabrians could not believe our good fortune.
An annual event that has been readily accepted as an important
occasion by all Calabrian generations is the making of the
year’s supply of “conserva.” Ironically,
in our family this event generally coincides with the nation
celebrating Australia Day. This particular family tradition
is one of the strongest, which endures today.
In spite of the whining, there is a wonderful and rich family
atmosphere to the day. Duty and obligation has it that all
those (young and old) belonging to the extended family that
wish to share in the end result, must help. While there are
complaints all round, there is rarely a shortage of helping
hands. It is a vital family cultural event which continues
to foster a sense of solidarity.
Interestingly, this family occasion can often be the ideal
opportunity for the Australian born Calabrian signorina to
introduce her Anglo Saxon boyfriend to a wonderful family
ritual. For it is on this day that nonna can inspect the young
man in the family setting before giving her important judgement
and, hopefully blessing and approval.
The family matriarch usually manages the routine of the day
with few wasted words. For this is not the domain of men.
It is the women who carry the secrets. The men? Well nonna
keeps the men and the entire family busy. The matriarch has
her duties in preparing for the day: selecting and purchasing
the right quality of tomatoes; washing bottles; making sure
there is enough basilico-very important; and organising the
bits and pieces. The men, as instructed by nonna, diligently
obey every command. The children cut the tomatoes and the
lucky ones fill the bottles until all the work is done and
the clean-up begins.
And the Aussie son-in-law and the Aussie boyfriend?..nonna
will personally put them through their tests !!
Social Customs
Calabrian weddings in Australia are unique. They are well-planned
events. A show of wealth and success perhaps? …Without
doubt !!
While its traditions may not be directly descended from the
villages of Calabria, weddings in Australia have become an
important cultural and social aspect of Calabrian society
today. With families increasingly dispersed, a family wedding
is an opportunity to re-unite the extended family as well
as members of the hometown community(paesani). They are social
occasions staged with expertise and much expense. For many
families the most important part of the day is not necessarily
the religious ceremony, but the celebration which focuses
on a delicious abundance of food and much ceremony. The bridal
party will often include many siblings and where possible,
favourite cousins. The comare` and compare` of the wedding
day will generally go on to fulfil their duties as the godparents
of the future first child.
Religion
Public and communal ceremony is central to Calabrese life
and this is never more evident than in the celebration of
various religious festivals, church occasions, family functions
and sporting fixtures. Each Calabrian locality is held together
socially by a network of clubs, societies, organisations and
associations. Because faith for a Calabrese is a social rather
than individual preference, it manifests itself in increasingly
popular religious and secular festivals.
In Australia, Calabrians, for whatever reason, are much more
involved in the community of the Church parish than they were
back home. Australians made no serious attempts to convert
Italians/Calabrians into Protestants and so the strength of
the church grew and now plays a pivotal role in bringing young
and old Calabrians together. They provide a type of social
welfare where everyone is brought back together to this symbolic
centre of our subculture. Church and festas remain rituals
even where religion has faded. They provide a cultural element
of continuity. Once, when statues of patron saints were carried
through parishes, the idea of pinning money to a statue horrified
some anglo Australians. Today practices such as pinning money
have been, in many case, modified yet the many festas draw
crowds from afar. Religious festas Australia wide, so enthusiastically
celebrated in particular by members of the Calabrian community,
were looked upon as odd but thanks to the enduring persistence
of the Calabrese most parishes acknowledge their importance
and embrace them.
Whilst the younger generations can be indifferent about many
family and community customs and traditions, it is with much
satisfaction for most that the young have continued to join
in the annual celebration of their family’s religious
festa. Many Calabrese will recall as they were growing up
in an Anglo-Australian culture, that the annual festa was
their equivalent to the fair coming to town.
Reciting the rosary is a common practise in many local communities.
The older women have a ‘roster’ of homes whereby
they rotate the location of the rosary. Apart from being a
religious occasion, the rosary is also inherently an important
social occasion where food is shared, gossip exchanged and
family stories passed on.
Mass is celebrated in Italian so that the significance and
importance of ritual and symbol are driven closer to the heart
and soul of the parishioners simply because they understand
the language. Sermons in Italian are also powerful vehicles
for social and political messages.
Superstitions
Discreet and persistent enquiries will reveal the existence
of what may be described as the tradition of “White-Witchcraft”
which is still quite prevalent in the Calabrian community
in Australia. Surprisingly not only the elderly employ this
service. Convention has it that it is not openly discussed
and few people will claim to believe in the malocchio
- curse of the evil eye or the use of natural
herbal remedies.
The craft is viewed upon as a harmless
optional remedy for those confronted with any form of negative
force in one’s life. Be it a minor headache, a run of
misfortune, a bout of the blues or any perceived negatives.
Their attitude seems to be that; although one may not believe,
there can be no harm in it.
The practitioners of this craft
are usually always older women and it is not uncommon for
Calabrians of all ages of either gender to seek out its services.
Grandmothers are known to openly offer to pass on the secret
chants and rituals to willing granddaughters. Lore has it
that initiation can only be performed
on Christmas Eve!
Illnesses are often thought of as the outward manifestation
of a jinx that someone has put upon another. A neighbour with
the special gift is often called upon to bring a bowl of water
and olive oil, to repeat incantations, sprinkle the cursed
and drive away the evil spirits. It is an almost pedestrian
activity. No fuss, no bother and it often works with resounding
success.
Nonna’s recipe of lemon juice and methylated spirits
will cure everything from excema to arthritis. There is no
need for a laxative when cod liver oil or a good dose of chicken
broth will do the trick. Sore tummy? A nice cup of warm water
will fix it. Rough skin? A little olive oil on the palm with
a drop of lemon and milk is as good as any expensive potion.
There may not be a scientific reason for these natural cures,
but they often seem to work.
To this day many older Calabrese, upon receiving any compliment,
will discretely make the “sign of the horns”
- “fare i corni” essential to deflect
the evil eye lest they be cursed! And yes, should one believe
they have been cursed with the malocchio, there are a number
of women known in the community whom can be called upon to
lift the curse – for a small consideration of course!
And yes, in today’s modern and busy Australian society
this service is now even available and commonly utilised via
the telephone.
Disseminating Gossip
No longer can the Australian-Calabrese rely on the piazza
as the source of village gossip which for many is the lubricant
of community life. In Australia the local Italian speaking
radio stations bring news into their homes. News of Italy
and more importantly local community news, as they mark a
place in contemporary society for the older generations by
empowering them with local news and knowledge, nostalgic old
Italian music, and more importantly, a chance to voice their
own ideas. Amusing as it is to hear, elderly Calabrian woman
will regularly call the station and publicly speak their mind
in their native Calabrian dialect. This validates who they
are as they have become mainstream Australian without giving
up any of their Calabrian cultural identity. Current affairs
and information direct from Italy gives them a sense of place
in the present and a reconnection with the past. Hence, cultural
ties strengthen rather than diminish.
Many of the radio stations are mindful of the fact that a
number of the older generation still yearn the music which
was popular at the time of their migration. Thus it is not
uncommon to hear music of the fifties and sixties being played
especially for this generation.
Love of Family
Family gatherings are important to the survival of Calabrian
/ Italian culture. Unlike some anglo counterparts, this is
not a painful experience. It is often noisy, busy and always
involves bountiful proportions of food. There are no preferences
or table manners to be strictly adhered to as members enjoy
a plentiful supply of delicious home made food. Everybody
eats, drinks and helps with the clean up afterwards. Christmas,
Easter and New Year’s Day are celebrated with earnest.
Bereavement
Naturally, funerals hold a solemn place in Calabrian/Australian
community life. As it is for weddings, Calabrians come together
to celebrate the life of the deceased with much respect and
reverence. To be present is important for the families as
much as it is in a personal sense. There are many opportunities
to give condolences from the lutto, Rosary, Mass and burial
ceremonies. Loss is shared and this is often evident in the
behaviour and presence of numerous mourners. Most Calabrians
who originate from the same village as the deceased, to this
day, feel a strong obligation and duty to attend the funeral
and in fact do so in vast numbers.
Interestingly, the social customs for this solemn occasion
in the Australian-Calabrian community are forever changing
and evolving to suit the pressures of time in today’s
modern society.
End
Armed with social, linguistic, cultural and religious skills
and appropriate attitudes, the Calabrian migrants in Australia
thankfully refused to accept their lot in life. Instead, they
persist in maintaining their customs and traditions in the
face of adversity and sometimes prejudice. It is their ingenuity,
frugality and perseverance, which are necessary survival attributes
of traditional peasants, who then became migrants and which
enables them to survive and succeed in Australia today.
Roy Fazzalari & Joycie Strangio
02 Mar 2004
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