In the last articles, we spoke about the spring and flower festivals which were getting the festa season off to a colorful and playful start in this area. And needless to say, one of the priorities during these events is eating, eating, and again eating!!! Of course, there is just no way to avoid it, since the Italians seem to have elaborated parties around more or less any kind of food you can think of; the afore-mentioned prestigious mushrooms are placed on a rightful pedestal during the September feasts, but polenta and sausages or stewed wild boar, trout cooked in various ways, ‘porchetta’ – suckling pigs roasted whole on a spit over a wood fire, the typical savory ‘torte’ that Mamma Maria used to make (and still does!), snails, chestnuts, potatoes…..the list goes on forever…..are just a few of the other delicacies which give the people of Emilia a good excuse to celebrate!
But it’s not only about food because where there’s a party there’s music – and that’s when Italian tradition is at its best, getting everyone on their feet for a whirl around the dance floor.
The gay notes of an accordion (there is always an accordion!) say that it’s time to start moving; so will it be a waltz or a polka? A tango or a mazurka? These dances all belong to the category called ‘ballo liscio’, to be danced with a partner who may or may not be your husband/wife or whatever – and it is definitely not a problem here if it isn’t. I was told that in the States, dancing at such close quarters with someone else is frowned upon, whereas in Italy it is totally normal and acceptable to dance with a person you don’t even know! So do not be surprised or offended if it happens to you at a festa, just get up and dance!