Buona Pasquetta!

Frittata di maccheroni

In remembrance of the risen Christ's meeting and subsequent dinner with his disciples on the road to Emmaus, a small town outside Jerusalem, Duosiciliani (Southern Italians) celebrate Pasquetta or Little Easter. Traditionally family and friends would pack a lunch and take a short trip to the shore or countryside to commemorate Our Lord’s journey. However, because Easter Monday is not a national holiday here in the States, and people have to work, organizing group outings is not always easy. Nonetheless, we still try to keep the tradition whenever possible.

This year, celebrating alone, I packed my sketch pad, a new book of poetry, Steal Masks (White Violet Press, 2012), by Joseph S. Salemi, and customary frittata di maccheroni. Picnic basket in hand, I found a peaceful location at a nearby park to read, sketch and reflect on our many blessings. Buona Pasquetta!

A peek inside my sketch book: A few rough sketches
of the Riace Bronzes for an upcoming art project