Sicily Guide

This website is a good reference to check before a visit to Sicily.  I would also recommend a personal tour guide. Diana Mazza is one such person who is knowledgeable and well-spoken

http://www.thinksicily.com/guide-to-sicily.aspx

St. Joseph, Sfingi (zeppoli) and fava beans

In Sicily, where St. Joseph is regarded by many as their Patron Saint, thanks are given to St. Joseph ("San Giuseppe" in Italian) for preventing a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages. According to legend, there was a severe drought at the time, and the people prayed for their patron saint to bring them rain. They promised that if he answered their prayers, they would prepare a large feast to honor him. The rain did come, and the people of Sicily prepared a large banquet for their patron saint. The fava bean was the crop which saved the population from starvation and is a traditional part of St. Joseph's Day altars and traditions. Giving food to the needy is a St. Joseph's Day custom. One food in particular is the zeppoli (or sfingi), a fried dough treat covered in sugar.

St Joseph, father of Jesus, is the icon for fatherhood.  March 19 is Father's Day in Italy and other European countries.

Sicilian-American Words

I discovered a Sicilian language annomaly when visiting Sicily. My father was speaking a language that was not Italian. It wasn't even Sicilian.  It was Sicilianese. What was even more interesting was that our relatives in Sicily understood him.

He would say words like Bruculino meaning Brooklyn or "Levamano" meaning nevermind. In my childhood I heard these expressions and thought they were Italian....or at least Sicilian. But what really surprised me was those living in Sicily used the same expressions. I guess there was enough dialogue exchange to blend some of these bastardized words back into the language. For example, a cousin would say "truvasti travaggiu n' Brucculinu. Comu ti pari u bossu nuovo" (Did you find work in Brooklyn? What do you think of your new boss"). Today I spoke with a Sicilian woman who was visiting her family in the US.  She also spoke Sicilianese.

Some words are derived simply by adding a vowel at the end as in "stoppa" for stop. Not specific to Sicilian derivatives are expression made popular by American media:  Boccigallu saying “wa sa matta u” in some tv sitcom. Neopolitan derivatives have a tendency to drop the last vowel as in “prosciut and other expressions heard in shows like the Sopranos. (entirely overdone and somewhat degrading. Try that with other cultures like the American Indians and see what happens).  Others have historical roots such as the word for bathroom, "bec cau su", originally from back house. And then others are a bit more complicated.  The words "salamagonia" and salamabicci" are " son of a gun" and son of a bitch" respectively.

I am posting a sample list of Sicilianese words.  Please feel free to include new words in your comments. I will add them to my post.

Truck- tru cu   

car- car ru

bus- bus su

boss- bos su

stove- stu fa

washing machine- wa schi ma chi na

dish washer - di sci wa sci

bathroom - bec cau su

bedroom - bed di ru mu

kitchen- chi cen ni

basement - ba sa men tu

bronx- bron chi si

brooklyn - bruc cu li no

orchard street - o ci stri ti
never mind - lev va ma nu

son of a bitch – sa la ma bic ci

son of a gun –sa la ma go gnia

gasoline – gasolina

check book – che ki boo cu