Page 1 - Italian American Herald - August 2021

THE CHEF'S PERSPECTIVE Pizza and wings: The origins of a classic combo
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A mosaic image of the Vinalia Rustica, an ancient Roman festival celebrating the harvest.
By Jeanne Outlaw-Cannavo
Ferragosto, or Assumption Day, is an Italian and Sanmarinese national holiday celebrated on Aug. 15. The term Ferragosto is derived from the Latin expression Feriae Augusti meaning Augustus' rest, which was
a celebration introduced by the emperor Augustus in 18 B.C. This celebration of Feriae Augusti became part of an already existent Roman festival which fell in the same month, Vinalia rustica or the Consualia. This event marked the harvest and the end of a long period of intense agricultural labor. The ancient Ferragosto, in addition to obvious
self-celebratory political purposes, had the purpose of linking the main August festivities to provide a longer period of rest, called Augustali, which was felt necessary after the hard labor of the previous weeks.
During these celebrations, horse races were organized across the empire and laboring beasts including oxen, donkeys and mules were released from their work duties and decorated with flowers. Such ancient traditions are still alive today. They remain virtually unchanged in their form and level of participation, as is exemplified during the Palio dell'Assunta, better known as the Palio di Siena which takes place on Aug. 16 in
Siena. The word palio comes from the Latin pallium, a piece of precious fabric which was the usual prize given to winners of the horse races in ancient Rome.
During Feriae Augusti workers greeted their masters who in return would give them a tip. The custom became so strongly rooted that in the Renaissance it became compulsory in the Papal States.
Present-day traditions such as taking a trip during Ferragosto arose during Fascism. In the second half of the 1920s, during the mid-August period, the regime organized hundreds of popular trips through the fascist leisure and recreational organizations of
various corporations. All this was made easier for the public by setting up the "People's Trains of Ferragosto," which were available at discounted prices.
The initiative gave the opportunity to less well-off social classes to visit Italian cities or to reach seaside and mountain resorts. The offer was limited to ˇthe dates of Aug. 13-15 and offered two options: a one-day trip within a radius of 31-62 miles, and a three-day journey within a radius of about 62-124 miles.
Today with Ferragosto as its apex, August has evolved in a national monthlong holiday
continued on page 7
Ferragosto: The Italian exodus Italians are on the move as nation celebrates Feriae Augusti
Vol. 8 / No. 8