I think Lucille Brindisi, my contact from the Board of Directors of the Italian Cultural Center, summed up the enduring appeal of culturally-based clubs, groups and centers – the focus of this month’s feature story – the best.
She said that as people grow older, they want to know and understand where they come from.
Essentially, she noted, there’s a drive for people to uncover their roots.
I can understand that need. When we’re young, it’s easy to understand where you come from and take part in your cultural traditions. Like myself, I imagine many of my Prime readers had first-or second-generation-in-this-country parents or grandparents – as I’ve mentioned many times before my mother’s parents were Portuguese – that spoke the language, prepared the traditional recipes, observed the holiday customs and in general, preserved their ethnic culture for their families.
But as time goes on, for many families such as mine, those traditions often begin to slip. Children marry into different cultures, elders pass away, and the tapestry that bound the family to its roots inevitably begins to fray.
For example, though my mother’s side of the family still can – and does – buy Portuguese fried dough and stuffed bread for Christmas at a bakery in Ludlow every year, I now wish I had paid more attention when I tried to learn how to make those things from scratch from my grandmother years ago. Buying something – even something you grew up with – just isn’t the same as recreating a beloved tradition with your own hands.
This, I think, is the appeal of things such as the cooking classes hosted by the Italian Cultural Center, the Wednesday night pub music and Irish language classes hosted by the Irish Cultural Center, and the displays of traditional paper cutting and intricately decorated Easter eggs at the Polish Center. These outlets provide us with a way to reconnect with bits of our childhoods, with traditions that are slipping, with our roots. When our elders pass away, these organizations become a bridge to the past.
More Events! You asked, and Prime listened. Beginning with this month’s edition, you’ll now find an expanded, two-page Calendar of Events in every issue of Prime. This is the first of the new additions we’ll be making to the product in the coming months. Stay tuned!
Do you have an idea for a great feature story? Prime is always looking for a great story. If you know an individual, a group, an organization or an event you think would make a story that would interest Prime’s readers, please drop me a line! You can reach me by email at debbieg@thereminder.com, or by regular mail at Prime Editor, Reminder Publishing LLC, 280 North Main St., East Longmeadow,MA 01028.
As always, thanks for reading!
Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
