The Feast of Santa Rosalia (18th Avenue Feast)

Santa Rosalia, ora pro nobis

Every year in Bensonhurst the locals celebrate the Feast of Santa Rosalia. Although she is the patron saint of Palermo during “The Feast” the entire Sicilian and Southern Italian community venerate her. This year the festival spans from August 27th through September 6th.

So far (as of this writing) I attended the celebration twice this year. The first night I went it rained, so there was obviously a poor turnout. The weather was better the following day so I used it as an excuse to get another vesteda sandwich and some zeppole. Sadly, the feast is not as popular as years gone by. The event has lost a lot of its character and in my opinion there are many reasons why.

18th Avenue in the rain

The most obvious explanation for the feast’s decline is that the neighborhood is a pale shadow of what it once was. No longer a staunch working class Southern Italian enclave (that once vied with Manhattan for the right to call itself New York City’s “Little Italy”) it is now home to more recent immigrants primarily from Asia and the former Soviet Union.

Secondly, in its quest to be more inclusive the vibrant cultural event has become just another vacuous street bazaar with the same generic vendors found at any flea market or street fair. Where once thousands of revelers gathered to celebrate their faith and culture there are now dispassionate individuals simply looking for something to distract them from the daily monotony. This is further evidence that multiculturalism is not culture but is in fact anti-cultural.

Vestiges of our community in Bensonhurst: The Sciacca Social Club

If not for the traditional cuisine, which now competes with other ethnic fare, there would be absolutely nothing remotely cultural about the festival. Folk dance, music, literature, and art are non-existent. And except for the effigy of the patroness, so the pious could donate money to the organizers, there is nothing at all spiritual either.

The Societá Figli di Ragusa

Maybe it’s just me but when I attend a Sicilian or Southern Italian affair I don’t want to listen to hip-hop or eat other cuisines. I’m there to partake in an authentic folk experience. We remaining “holdouts” must take pride in our own heritage and culture or we will disappear forever.

~ Giovanni di Napoli