Columbus day parade 2014

It’s not every day you get to walk down 5th Avenue in a red gown but...I was lucky enough to walk in the Columbus Day Parade in a red gown designed by a Sicilian designer in October 2014 as part of a series of three “red, white, and green” dresses that make up the Italian flag. These dresses were designed by Francesca Paterno, a renowned Sicilian designer and dear friend of mine, based in Catania, Sicily. She had won multiple awards for the craftsmanship, symbolism, and beauty of this set of dresses. The Italian Consulate invited her to showcase her work in the iconic New York City Columbus Day Parade but the dresses couldn’t walk themselves. Fortunately, the red dress happened to be just my size so when Francesca asked me to walk the parade in this dress, I could not have been more honored!

Walking in the parade allows you to see the world from a new perspective. To see all the Italians and Italian-Americans lined up along the street cheering, dressed up and beaming with pride truly filled my heart with joy. A once in a lifetime experience that would have never been if it weren’t for meeting and connecting with my now friend Francesca Paternó. Francesca had designed my dream wedding dress a few months prior and we bonded throughout the process. I initially met her at New York Bridal Week in the fall of 2013 where she was exhibiting her work. A cousin of mine had sent me an article from a local newspaper that a Sicilian designer would be making an appearance at NYBW and suggested that I meet her. At first I thought the idea of having my wedding dress made in another country was never something I could never do being the control freak that I am. But when I met Francesca, her professionalism and attention to detail was unparalleled! Before she headed back to Sicily, she took my measurements, asked me all the details of what i wanted in the dress, she drew up a sketch, and got the ball rolling!

Francesca assured me that everything would go smoothly and that her seamstress would be there through every step of the process, including on my wedding day. I hadn’t realized how valuable it was to have her there the day of the wedding until that day came. And Fortunately, the seamstress was there on my wedding day because i kept shedding weight and she was taking in my dress up until thirty minutes prior to leaving for the church!

The most nerve wracking part of the process was not being able to see the dress throughout the process. I flew to Catania for a fitting inFebruary of 2014 and then didn’t see the dress until the week of the wedding!! But the dress was worth the wait. From the hand-beaded crystal straps to the French lace, every inch of my dress embodied me and the look I aspired to capture.

As a result of this, I was over the moon when Francesca reached out to me again asking me if I wanted to participate in the parade wearing her gown! It was an honor to be the “red” to the Italian flag and to be a part of such a meaningful tradition. Embracing my Italian heritage is definitely something that I like to do loudly and proudly!

Festa Di San Giuseppe/St Joseph's Day

Auguri to all the Giuseppe's, in particular my dad, Giuseppina's Joseph's and Josephina's!

Most people think of St Patrick's day for its beer drinking binges and parade but I like to think of it as being 2 days closer to St Joseph's Day! St. Joseph’s Day, also known as the Fest Di San Giuseppe, is the feast day for Saint Joseph – which falls on March 19th each year. Since my dad's name is Giuseppe, we would celebrate with a traditional dinner consisting of "Pasta Con le Sarde" , grilled fish for main course (since it falls during lent, there is no meat on the menu) Fava beans, artichokes and the traditional "Sfinci for dessert.

But did you know...

St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of Workers. His reverence in Sicily comes from a time of drought on the Island back in the Middle Ages. The peasants prayed to God through St. Joseph, asking for rain. They promised that if the drought ended, they would fete both the Almighty Father and St. Joseph in an annual feast.

The traditional foods served during St. Joseph’s Day are symbolic of both the legends associated with the saint and the very real struggles of the Sicilian peasantry. The fava bean plays a prominent role in the feast. Fava beans are said to be good luck because they were the only things that survived a drought during the Middle Ages in Italy.Once considered food for animals, the hardy bean was not affected by the droughts and famines of Sicily, making it an invaluable food source to the peasants.

Although I don't enjoy "Pasta Con Sarde", I can confidently say that my dad's "Pasta Con Sarde" is on point. He uses fresh sardines - never from a can - (which take him forever to clean and usually involves my mom yelling at him for stinking up the kitchen) and then finishes off the plate with toasted breadcrumbs. Wild fennel and chickpeas were also some of the few plants available to these poor people and thus became important parts of the Sicilian diet. These are just some of the simple and rustic ingredients that go into the unique Pasta di San Giuseppe.Breadcrumbs are worked into the recipes of the dishes because St. Joseph was a carpenter and the breadcrumbs represent sawdust

And last but not least, to finish off a delicious meal is the traditional St Joseph's Pastry or "Sfinci" which is essentially a fried zeppole piped with rich custard or cannoli cream sprinkled generously with powdered sugar.

Baci,

Oriana