San Tito

The storie goes like:

During the period of the separation between Catholic Church and the Lutheran one, Catholic Church thought that to rise up their popularity it would be a good idea if they spread their saint's bodies all over in Italy (and other places) so that these people having a Saint in their church would feel more comfortable to stay among the Catholic belief, instead of choosing the Lutheran one. 

In a small town called Casorate Sempone just outside of Milan, near Lake Maggiore and only a "drop stone" from the Milan Malpensa airport there is a celebration of Saint Tito. Casorate lyes in the old Roman build road called Sempione. And Saint Tito appeared to be a deacon and martire who helped poor people. He was initially buried among all the other deacon saints in the cemetery of Ciriaca at Rome.

my source Umberto

His body was given as a gift to Casorate Sempione by the priest Giuseppe Cusani in the early 1676, but it took the period of after the 1st WW, to start celebrations. Casorate Sempione as a town, according to Umberto; a student of engineering at Politecnico di Milano whom I interviewed, was torn apart by people who thought differently. Celebrating Saint Tito would make people co-operate with each other and forget their differences. This event takes place once in every 10 years. Still today the ladies in this small town meet each other three years before the celebration to plan and work out decorations all made by hand.  

Today the celebration goes through out several events, like Palio that is a horse ride competition. Each quartier fight of their dominance with a horse ride: Similar to the famous "Palio di Siena". 
I found interesting sites to visit among beautiful churches and of course Saint Tito's body in the Assunta Church in the top of the hill. 

For the event local bakeries prepared a special cake and the breweries a special liquor. Ingredients are typical from the area, such as figs, nuts and honey.  
I did't taste the cake, because I bought one.  Liquor was excellent as much as San Tito beer; Belgium blond brewed. 

The whole town is a huge flower show. Each neighbourhood is decorated differently. It took me that 8 to 9 km to walk to visit it all. And I have to admit that it was worth evecry cm of it. My favourites were the neighbourhood with "flowers and bicycles", "umbrellas", "Hortensia" and "Via Venezia" that stands for Venice Street. I must say that I admire all the work these women still do today and I wish this kind of committee with such commitment found place in other cities. 

This 10th celebration ends 13th of September with fireworks.

Please free to post comments on your visit at Casorate Sempione or at Saint Tito feast. 

All photos are by author; please ask a permission to share them. 

  

Greek Christening

I was invited to visit a friend of mine and his family to Thessaloniki few years back, and while there his wife's relative got their child christened.

photo depositphotos.com

Where I come from, from Finland, christening happens in few months, if not weeks after the birth, because we don't give names to the babies in the hospital, and it's a kind of well kept secret too. So, in order to name them we need to christen babies or register in case of atheism, pretty soon.

But in Greece children can get christened at any age. In this particular case the child was 1 year old. In most of the countries new borns get some name parents need to register to the town hall, and the christening in the church then follows. If follows. 

I was surprised of the quantity of the family members and friends they had invited to the church, since in Finland most people do the christening sort of privately at home with just close family and few friends. Also in Italy the christening is something among close family. 
I remember that I found it all extremely hilarious there in Greece, because the whole procedure took huge amount of time; like 2h and every one in the church did what ever they pleased; mostly talked. I played games. LOL
The priest had to ask these people get quiete several times, and I couldn't stop mentioning that comparing to them Italians are pretty disciplined. 

And this ain't all: that baby actually had a "full bath" in a bowl. With the help of both parents and the priest the child got undressed and then put in the bowl followed with all religious liturgy. It seemed to last for ages. 

photo www.blessedcelebration.com

In some cases the kids walk to have a "bath" on their own, but that was not the case of the relative of my friend's family.  

photo arollingcrone.blogspot.com

After the long ceremony, perhaps due to my new shoes I bought as a souvenir, the family in question shared something they also do in Italy: sugar covered amandels packed in a gift box or similar. 

photo by author

photo www.evivadesign.com

We were then invited for greek meze that stands for appetiser. For me it was a completely fullfilling meal. It lasted nearly 3 hours and we also got to celebrate the babies' 1st birthday. 

It was truly amazing to see women in 5 generation. The person I thought was a grandmother of that christened child was actually the grandmother of the mother, and she had her mother with her.

It was one of the nicest thing my friend's family could have done to me, by inviting me there.