L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano S eptember is the month of change: the summer ends a n d t h e f a l l c o m e s , w i t h a l l the richness and warmth of its colors. It is the month of peace and comfort when we take out our fleece blankets from the wardrobe and we y e a r n f o r a l l t h i n g s c i n n a m o n , p u m p k i n , a n d apple. In its last days, we f e e l i t ' s s p o o k y s e a s o n a l r e a d y b e c a u s e d a y s a r e shorter and the dark calls f o r g h o s t s a n d e e r i e atmospheres. S e p t e m b e r i s a l s o t h e month children go back to school and families to their normal routines. There are no big holidays in sight until Thanksgiving and, in Italy, not until Christmas. In the farming world, Septem- b e r i s o n e o f t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t a n d l i v e l y m o n t h s , s o i t w a s n ' t b y chance that the people of Sardinia used to consider it the beginning of the year: c a b u d a n n i , " c a p o d a n n o " (beginning of the year), is the name for September on the island still today. This shouldn't surprise us if we t h i n k a b o u t t h e m a n y i m p o r t a n t a g r i c u l t u r a l activities that take place in S e p t e m b e r : g r a p e s a r e harvested and wine is made; wheat and cereals are sown, a p p l e s , p e a r s , c h e s t n u t s , hazelnuts, and walnuts are picked. Mushrooms grow and they are dried or jarred. It's a time of plenty before the snow hides the world under a cool blanket of icy beauty. I n I t a l y , S e p t e m b e r i s also inspiration for many proverbs, little nuggets of rural wisdom we learned to love and respect. Proverbs are an important part of our heritage, both linguistic and cultural: many of them are traditionally associated with a region and are originally in dialect. All are associated with a moment in time or with some precious practical discoveries that can offer important knowledge for t h e n e x t t i m e a s i m i l a r situation comes about. September proverbs are quintessentially tied to the weather, the harvest, and the way we can predict how b o t h w i l l g o b a s e d o n s p e c i a l s i g n s , o n s p e c i a l days. I n L o m b a r d i a , f o r instance, they say that Se 'l p o e u v e l d i d e s a n Gorgonio tutt utubri 'l è 'n d e m o n i o , w h i c h m e a n s that if it rains on the day of San Gorgonio, on the 9th of September, then it'll rain f o r t h e w h o l e m o n t h o f October (literally, "October w i l l b e u n d e m o n i o , " a demon). The Piedmon- t e s e u s e S e p t e m b e r t o guess how the weather will be, too, when they say Se a s i t é m b a r c a u d f a r à n'invèrn frogg rivarà, if we have a hot September, then t h e w i n t e r w i l l b e c o l d . W e a t h e r f o r e c a s t i n g i s p o p u l a r a l s o i n V e n e t o , where it's known that El 29 settembre, se i angeli i se bagna le ale, piove fin a N a d a l : o n t h e 2 9 t h o f S e p t e m b e r , w e c e l e b r a t e Saint Michael archangel, so if he wets his wings – that is, if it rains on his day – t h e n i t ' l l r a i n u n t i l Christmas. But proverbs are also a treasure chest of interesting w i s d o m a b o u t l i f e a n d , sometimes, they get quite v u l g a r , t o o , b u t w i t h n o m a l i c e i n s i g h t . I n Sardinia it is known, for instance, that Sos macos i n g r a s s a n t a b s u Cabidanni, slackers get fat in September, because it's not only a bountiful month but there are plenty of fairs d e d i c a t e d t o t h e h a r v e s t a n d c e n t e r e d o n l a r g e quantities of good food and wine. In Emilia Romagna, they forget manners for a second when they state an o b v i o u s t r u t h a b o u t t h e m o n t h ' s m o s t c o m m o n f r u i t , g r a p e s a n d f i g s : Satembar, uva e figh, la panza la s'tira e e'cul e'rid, a sentence warning us that, if we eat too much of them, we'll get bloated and fart a lot. L a s t b u t n o t l e a s t , September is the month of vendemmia and also of the h a r v e s t o f o l i v e s , t w o i m p o r t a n t m o m e n t s o f Italy's farming life, but also of its economy, when you think about the products - w i n e a n d o l i v e o i l - w e make with these delicious f r u i t s . L i g u r i a n s , w h o know a thing or two about good wine, are sure that Da settembre e ad agosto beivi o vin vegio e lascia sta o m o s t o , t h a t i s , f r o m September to August drink last year's wine and let the n e w o n e r e s t : i t w i l l b e better! In Valle d'Aosta, w i n e m a k e r s o f a l l g e n e r a t i o n s a g r e e t h a t T r a v a s a p à l o v i n à l a l e u n a n o u v e l l a , n e v e r bottle wine during a New Moon, a line of action kept in rural areas everywhere. Last but not least, a bit of S e p t e m b e r w i s d o m f r o m beautiful Campania, when t h e y s a y t h a t A S a n Gennaro aiza 'a scala, from t h e d a y o f S a n G e n n a r o ( 1 9 t h o f S e p t e m b e r ) i t ' s time to put up the ladder. Where? Against the olive tree, because that's when t h e h a r v e s t i n g o f o l i v e s should begin. P r o v e r b s a r e j u s t l i k e that, they are simple but truthful, they are old but n e v e r w r o n g . T h e y a r e a chunk of country wisdom t h a t h a s a l o t o f s c i e n c e within it even if, very likely, the people who first used t h e m k n e w l i t t l e a b o u t s c i e n c e . Y e t o f t h e s c i e n t i s t s , f a r m e r s h a v e important characteristics: t h e y a r e v e r y o b s e r v a n t , respect nature, think before a c t i n g , a n d k n o w h o w t o wait. N o w , i f o n l y w e a l l learned how to be more like them! LUCA SIGNORINI The wisdom of proverbs is that typical of our grandparents (Photo: Dimaberkut/Dreamstime) Wise words of September: the wisdom of old September proverbs LIFE PEOPLE REVIEWS ADVICE TRADITIONS

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