Title: Serenading the Bride

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore

• Italian, English

• Italy

Informant Data:

• Gerardo Pisacane is a thirty-year-old male from the south of Italy in the Amalfi Coast, a place near Naples. He lived in Vietri Sul Mare (the first village of the Amalfi coast) from his birth until he turned twenty-three years old. At that point, he moved to Milan for six years and now lives in Hanover. He currently works at Dartmouth as the resident advisor for the Italian language program, exposing American students to Italian language and culture. Coming from the south of Italy, Gerardo has been to many weddings, particularly because he comes from a large family. In December, he even participated in his cousin’s wedding as the best man.

Contextual Data:

• Social/Cultural Context: In Italy, it is customary that the groom, if he chooses, serenade the bride the day prior to the wedding so as to demonstrate his love for her.

Item:

• The groom sings to the bride the night before their wedding day.

Media File:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3D8k-ua7FY

Transcript of Associated File:

• Informant: “The first, uh, the day before the wedding- the… not the bride, but the other one: the groom – groom – the groom! (Okay, I learn a new word!) The groom uh sings a song uh to the bride. Do you know the meaning of a seranata?
• Collector: “A sere- a serenade!”
• Informant: “A serenade? Ok. For example, my cousin did that the day before and the -the bride didn’t know that and so she was so surprised!”
• Collector: “And why would they do that?”
• Informant: “It is a kind of – a romantic – romantic thing- to prove his love for her… to stress to show his love for her.”

Informant’s Comments:

This practice is often dependent on the groom’s volition: some grooms are too shy to sing to their future wives.

Collector’s Comments:

• This practice is an example of customary folklore, for it represents a typical custom tied to Italian weddings. The husband’s song of love is representative of the happiness that the couple will have.

Collector’s Name: Isabella Florissi

Tags/Keywords:

• Customary folklore

Title: Purchasing of Rings

General Information about Item:

• Magic Superstition (Doing A brings Bad B)

• Italian, English

• Italy

Informant Data:

• Gerardo Pisacane is a thirty-year-old male from the south of Italy in the Amalfi Coast, a place near Naples. He lived in Vietri Sul Mare (the first village of the Amalfi coast) from his birth until he turned twenty-three years old. At that point, he moved to Milan for six years and now lives in Hanover. He currently works at Dartmouth as the resident advisor for the Italian language program, exposing American students to Italian language and culture. Coming from the south of Italy, Gerardo has been to many weddings, particularly because he comes from a large family. In December, he even participated in his cousin’s wedding as the best man.

Contextual Data:

• Social/Cultural Context: In Italy it is taboo to purchase the ceremonial wedding and engagement rings simultaneously.

Item:

• The purchasing of the engagement and wedding rings of the couple.

Media File: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwUDkvpqu4

Transcript of Associated File:

• Informant: “You can’t buy the ring – the wedding ring at the same time uh when you buy, for example, the uh engagement ring.
• Collector: “You need to buy both at the same time?”
• Informant: “Not – both at the same time. You can’t!”

Informant’s Comments:

• This concept is widespread throughout Italy, rather than localized to specific regions.

Collector’s Comments:

• This practice is followed so as to prevent that the wedding be jinxed- to prevent that the premature purchase of a wedding ring along with an engagement ring bring bad luck upon the wedding. As such, this practice is an example of magic following the logic of doing A brings upon bad B (A = simultaneously purchasing an engagement and wedding ring; B = a failed or unhappy union).

Collector’s Name: Isabella Florissi

Tags/Keywords:

• Magic Superstition

Title: Hearts Made out of Rice

General Information about Item:

• Contagious Magic, Homeopathic Magic

• Italian, English

• Italy

Informant Data:

• Gerardo Pisacane is a thirty-year-old male from the south of Italy in the Amalfi Coast, a place near Naples. He lived in Vietri Sul Mare (the first village of the Amalfi coast) from his birth until he turned twenty-three years old. At that point, he moved to Milan for six years and now lives in Hanover. He currently works at Dartmouth as the resident advisor for the Italian language program, exposing American students to Italian language and culture. Coming from the south of Italy, Gerardo has been to many weddings, particularly because he comes from a large family. In December, he even participated in his cousin’s wedding as the best man.

Contextual Data:

Social/Cultural Context: As the bride and groom exit the church upon being married, it is typical that they find a heart outlined from rice containing two letters (the first letters of the first names of the two individuals to be married) on the floor right outside the threshold of the church. It is typical that both the bride and the groom step into the heart and continue to walk, eventually stepping out of it. This practice encourages a joyous union.

Item:

• An outline made of rice, containing the capital first letters of the two individuals being married.

Media File:

https://youtu.be/HtqMgJgPxPQ

Transcript of Associated File:

• Informant: “Sometimes you paint with rice an heart- the silhouette of an heart… Outside of a church, sometimes… yeah an heart, sometimes people paint a heart with rice, using rice- and they use the capital letter of the names. So, Marco e Patricia: M and P.”
• Collector: “Do they have to step in it, or no?”
• Informant: “Yes, they pass – they pass – they cross [into] the heart.”

Informant’s Comments:

• This practice is completed upon exiting the church, once the couple is already married.

Collector’s Comments:

• This piece of folklore contains elements of homeopathic and contagious magic. In fact, the practice of stepping into the heart as a means of blessing the union with love is an example of contagious magic. Just as the feet of the couple have stepped into the heart, their union and entire beings will also be anointed with love. Furthermore, this practice contains elements of homeopathic magic, as the first initials of the two first names of the couple represent the larger lives of the couple as a whole. Just as the letters have found love and are surrounded by love, the two individuals will also find themselves surrounded by love.

Collector’s Name: Isabella Florissi

Tags/Keywords:

• Customary Lore, Contagious Magic, Homeopathic Magic

Title: Plate-Breaking

General Information about Item:

• Homeopathic Magic

• Italian, English

• Italy

Informant Data:

• Gerardo Pisacane is a thirty-year-old male from the south of Italy in the Amalfi Coast, a place near Naples. He lived in Vietri Sul Mare (the first village of the Amalfi coast) from his birth until he turned twenty-three years old. At that point, he moved to Milan for six years and now lives in Hanover. He currently works at Dartmouth as the resident advisor for the Italian language program, exposing American students to Italian language and culture. Coming from the south of Italy, Gerardo has been to many weddings, particularly because he comes from a large family. In December, he even participated in his cousin’s wedding as the best man.

Contextual Data:

• Social/Cultural Context: Before a bride leaves her house to go to church and be married, her neighbors break a ceramic or glass plate filled with flowers, candy, and rice. The process of breaking the plate occurs on the floor near the bride’s feet and represents good luck for the future. The bride then steps over the broken plate and exits the house.

Item:

• A ceramic or glass plate or bowl filled with rice, candy, flowers.

Media File:

https://youtu.be/ZAK2jakCvAQ

Transcript of Associated File:

• Informant: “When the bride goes to the church, okay- before she goes to the church, they (No, sorry), her neighbors uh brokes – break a plate of ceramic, for example, plate or a glass plate uh in front of her so uh – [she has to step over it]: near her foot.”
  Collector: “Why?”
  Informant: “Because um it is a sign of prosperity – prosperity.”
  Collector: “By the amount of broken pieces of glass? So like, the amount of different pieces of glass?”
  Informant: “No- they take a plate, maybe glass or ceramic plate, full of flower, candies, rice, and they breaks – they break the plate (how can I say: a terra vicino ai piedi della sposa?)”
  Collector: “Break the plate on the floor near the wife’s feet. But why is it filled with these things?”
  Informant: “Why? Because it’s uh – it’s good luck for your future and we wish you a lot of luck.”
  Collector: “And is the amount of things on the plate the amount of things you are wishing for the person? If it’s more rice is it more prosperity? So you fill it – you make it really, really, full so that the life will be full?”
  Informant: “Yes!”

Informant’s Comments:

• The informant believes that the amount of items on the plate is indicative of the resulting prosperity of the couple- the more rice and flowers and candy on the plate, the more prosperous the couple will be.

Collector’s Comments:

• This piece of folklore is likely an example of homeopathic magic: Italians believe that just as the plate is bountiful, the lives of the bride and groom will also be plentiful, full of luck, and prosperous. According to Gerardo, this practice is more common in the South of Italy than in the north.

Collector’s Name: Isabella Florissi

Tags/Keywords:

• Material Lore, Homeopathic Magic