Coming from an Italian and German family there are many traditions that I have grown to
know. However, all of these traditions had to have began somewhere within my ancestors.
In 1913 my great grandparents, Mary (Vinditti) Graziano, born on April 15, 1904, and
Carmen Graziano, born on February 24, 1898, left Italy to America. They took a ship
together to the well known, Ellis Island. There they signed the book of all the passengers’
names and went to begin their new life. They married years beforehand, after each of their
spouses had died, but had their eleven children who were born afterward keep their spirits
alive. Their Italian attitudes are still here with us today by the way we celebrate our ethnicity.
The elements of family, food, religion, music, and architecture are very popular within Italian
culture. One component that stands out most in our family is the strong Catholic religious
practice we portray. My grandpa, or mostly known as Papa, is a great example of this trait.
Every Christmas for as long as he can remember, he has attended Midnight Mass at his
local church with many of his brothers and sisters. Also, as any Italian, he has wonderful
cooking skills descended from his past ancestors as well. Almost every holiday and special
occasion we all make pizzelles, a famous Italian waffle cookie that were originally made in
Ortona, Italy. Although time is passing each day, my Nana and Papa still visit Italy each
year to reminisce through memories and explore more in depth into our family history. Even
though we are still modernizing each day, our family still is tightly knit because of our
common ancestors and traditions. They are what molded me to who I am today and make
me proud to come from an Italian background.
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