May 2010 News and Events.htm

News and Events ~ May 2010

News from the Society:

Upcoming Society Events

The arrangements for the 4th Annual Crachesi del Nord America Reunion have been made! We will be meeting from August 6-8, 2010 in New York’s Catskill Mountains resort area. The Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center was selected as the meeting site offering us an all inclusive package with many options for families to enjoy a fun filled weekend.
A meeting brochure will be distributed separately with the details about room rates and amenities at the hotel.
The design of this event was based on member requests to provide a facility that allows more participation for families. This location includes a complete schedule of daytime activities, indoor sports complex with bocce, shuffleboard, ping pong, table and video games, indoor swimming pool & Jacuzzi, fully equipped fitness center, outdoor bocce & shuffleboard courts, and outdoor swimming pools.
At the Reunion we will have a great chance to learn directly from those who participated in the Craco 2010 Trip about their impressions and the developments there. Joe Rinaldi will make a presentation about the town and plans they shared with him about taking advantage of the WMF Watch List recognition to rehabilitate Craco Vecchio.
The Reunion will also serve as the release of the Society’s latest historic preservation project; the English translation of Omaggio alla Stella. This work issued by the Associazione di Volontariato Colibri provides the history and traditions surrounding the Madonna della Stella in Craco. The veneration and celebration of the feast for this Madonna dates back to the 1700’s in Craco Vecchio. The release date for of the Society’s translation was chosen because it coincides with the feast day for the Madonna in Craco Peschiera.
The Reunion will also serve as an opportunity to share the results of the member survey and future plans for the Society.
Of course, in October we will celebrate the feast of San Vincenzo Martire, the patron of Craco in Lower Manhattan. During a recent visit to St. Joseph’s Church some deterioration to the fabric the 109 year old statue rests on was noticed. In anticipation of this year’s celebration we have asked a restoration expert to examine the statue and advise the church and us about any necessary repairs.

The Craco Cookbook Project

In an attempt to preserve traditional Cracotan recipes that were preserved and handed down in families, along with recipes that came from Craco but were modified here due to the influences of other Italians or lack of ingredients, the Society is starting the Craco Cookbook Project.
The best way to make these available will be to add them to the website so individual recipes can be accessed and printed without printing and distributing a book.
We invite all members to submit recipes to: memberservices@thecracosociety.org. They will be added to the website.
Your recipe should include photos, a story behind the recipe, and the details of the recipe.
Since we are just starting, there are not any recipes posted yet so, please send your family recipe along.
Once we receive them they will be uploaded to the Society website and we’ll announce the link to access them. Then anytime you want to try a different but traditional recipe you’ll be able to visit the website to get a “Craco Classic.”

Our Future

As mentioned in last month’s edition we will be surveying our 375 members to obtain more input about members’ expectations and desires for the organization.
The details and instructions about taking the survey will be sent shortly in a separate message. We hope everyone will take the time to take the survey and provide the kind of ideas and input members contributed in the past that enabled the Society to be successful so far.

Coming Soon

The long history and story of the Madonna della Stella is told in Omaggio alla Stella, an Italian language publication produced by the Associazione di Volontariato Colibri. Earlier this year, the Associazione kindly granted us permission to translate their publication into English so it can be made available to our North American members.
A volunteer group completed the translation and the book is now being composed and edited. Publication will be coming shortly and the official release of the book will take place during the Reunion in August.
This translations represents the last of the books or material available from Craco that provide us with the history of the town, its culture, or traditions. It serves as a cornerstone piece along with the two other translations and the video DVD about Craco.
Everyone with roots in Craco should have the translations of Note Storiche sul Comune di Craco and the two books about San Vincenzo included in San Vincenzo Martire and the Crachesi in Two Worlds, along with the DVD entitled, Craco: Visits through Time.

May in Craco Vecchio

The Madonna della Stella procession- 1962

Throughout the month of May there are daily visits to the church of the Madonna della Stella to celebrate Mass or to say the rosary.
In the fields May was also a busy month. The fave and ceci were picked and left in a large pile to dry.
The people also started preparing for the arrival of hired farm hands that came from as far away as Lecce to assist with the grain harvest.

The month of May was a very significant month and active time in Craco Vecchio.
Following the church calendar, and centuries of tradition, on the first weekend in May they celebrated San Nicola and the Madonna della Stella, starting with a “processione” for San Nicola on the Saturday.
On Sunday, the entire day is dedicated to celebrating Madonna della Stella, starting with a Mass in the morning followed by a procession throughout the town.
To receive special favours from the Madonna, people would decorate a “cirio” (a wooden framed structure) with candles. The cirio would be carried by a devotee along with the procession until it reached their home. A small alter was pre-pared at the house, and prayers were said, thus completing their act of devotion.
In the afternoon, everyone gathered by the Madonna della Stella church for potato sac races, horse races, and bicycle races. In the evening, people gathered and ate fave, lupini, and ceci. In the late 50's and 60's some amusement park rides were added for children. The day’s festivities always ended with a display of fireworks.
For all Festas, a committee was formed consisting of 5-10 people and overseen by the priest. Their role was to raise funds and organize the entire festa.

Click here to view A Year in Craco. Events in Craco for every month are listed. Thank you to Joe Rinaldi in Canada for his contribution to this page.

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