Italian American Football Wedding

As a nation state, Italy has emerged only in 1871. Until then the country was politically divided into a large number of independant cities, provinces and islands. The currently available evidences point out to a dominant Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultural influence on today's Italians.
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Winelogic
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Italian American Football Wedding

Post by Winelogic »

I'm looking for any information anyone may have on Italian Football weddings.....anything you could share would be greatly appreciated!
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AnnetteLB
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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Winelogic wrote:I'm looking for any information anyone may have on Italian Football weddings.....anything you could share would be greatly appreciated!
Not sure what type of info you want, but I can tell you how I learned the term.

Growing up, I attended many family weddings in the Bronx, New York or on Long Island. This was during the 1950's. Our family was very large and my mother's family lived in the same apartment building in the Bronx as my father's large family. Therefore, the wedding guest list would be for both sides of the family, meaning 250-300 people. Catering would be out of the question do to the costs. Therefore, the woman would get together and make hero sandwiches (very hearty and various types ). These were called 'football' sandwiches. 2 for each invited guest. This was the main course. My family certainly could not afford much more than that. The bride would rent a local 'hall', rent chairs and tables; the hall would be hand decorated and usually, SOME RELATIVE WOULD HAVE A BAND, and that is who would be the "DJ". The sandwiches were the main course, with of course Italian cookies (all home made) and wine, scotch, rye, soda water and coffee. I remember sandwiches flying through the air from one table to the other if one table didn't have enough, say, peppers and eggs, or sausage and peppers...they would exchange by throwing to other table. Lots of fun.... Hope that helps or at least makes you smile!
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Winelogic
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

Post by Winelogic »

Thank you Annette...this is exactly what I am looking for. My family was from the Bronx and I remember my Dad always talking about it. Thanks again!
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AnnetteLB
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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So glad to be of help. By the way, I was born in the Bronx and then moved to New Jersey when I was 5. My parents lived in the Bronx most of their life too!

Just as a curiosity - we lived on Fox Street - near Tremont Ave. How about your dad?

Annette
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Winelogic
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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Actually we lived on Beach Avenue and Theriot Avenue off Archer near the Cross Bronx Expressway...then we moved to Long Island when I was 9.
Thanks again for your memory!
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AnnetteLB
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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Don't recognize those names, except of course, the Cross Bronx. Been on that many times.

Enjoy
Annette
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deedeeace
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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My mom and all of her brothers and sisters had football weddings. I just framed and had hung over 150 pictures of my family and those in my family who came over on the boat over 120 years ago. One of the wedding photos show my mom and dad in front of the high cookie tray with the bride and groom on top! No wedding cake! That always fascinated me when I was a kid. Yes, the aunts made all the sandwiches and the hall was rented. Although I never attended one, the stories abound. I am, however, a product of the union which started at Sacred Heart Church, Suffern, NY and celebrated at an Italian football wedding!
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Winelogic
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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Thank you Dee...loved your story...it's quite a phenomenon isn't it?
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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American Football - Its a religion which has crossed the frontier of being a physical competition, but as far as i know Titans are the league leaders.

If any body is interested in American football, pls visit http://www.americanfootballblog.com
Believe me guys this game is still young & popular.

american football
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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American Football is a tough contact sport that dominates the American sporting scene and is gaining popularity in Europe. It is a game requiring all-round physical fitness.

American Football
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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The subject is pre-war 11 wedding receptions for Italian Americans in the USA which consisted of enormous amounts of sandwich rolls homemade or catered and as much beer,whiskey, wine and soda that was desired and instead of wedding cakes were mounds of Italian cookies of all types with a brided and groom on top as if it were a bridal cake. The entire cookie tray was showered with confetti (sugar covered almonds) and everybody received a favor of a cup of these same confettis with a miniature bride and groom. Bands and/or DJ's rounded things up in large rented halls since many other ethnic groups had their weddings there too.

The "football" term came about as when the sandwiches were distributed they would just put trays full of packaged rolls filled with Italian and American coldcuts (ham, prosciutto, salami, capacollo, sausages mortadella,cheeses of all types. During the WW11 imported meats were hard to get so they resorted to Spiced Ham, Swiss Cheese, portuguese (they were neutral) cold cuts(?).Chicken then came into vogue.
As these rolls became distributed Chicken came into among the guests at the table some people preferred one type of cold cuts over others so they began trading roll by tossing them across these large tables like "footballs"

What has no tbeen mentioned is the meetings between the teenagers where boy meets girl and where many ensuing marriages emerged from these heartily approved unions by one and all and when these kids got married they hand to hand deliver the invitations to each and everyone of importance inthe family which was everybody!!!! Later they resorted to UGH! mailing an invitation =Peter=
~Peter~
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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I forgot to mention that in those days there was no concept of baby sitters for the infants or small childfren so as the evening wore on babies would be placed between two to 4 chairs and merrily went to sleep and they would all be lined up along the walls. The newly met teenagers would leave first to take the girls home (?) and since they all lived close to each other they would go in groups and then pair off on the walk home from the subway or if they had cars then more fun was had by all.

People at the wedding used to line up to give their "envelope" gifts and the bride had her large satin pocketbag (they were big) where as the newly weds would greet their guests the bride would quietly put the envelopes into this satin pocketbag. Other older guys would invite their friends to the wedding and these friends would usually show up later during the festivities and of course, they met the older girls and left with or without their friends and "mixed" marriages (marriages between people from different towns in Italy was also acceptable as long as they were Italian). My folks met this way, never knew each other but were raised within 12 miles of each other as children in Italy but met at a football wedding. =Peter=
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

Post by vinnyz »

That's so fascinating that a football wedding has nothing to do with sports. I never knew it was all based on a sandwich. I wish we had football sandwiches still around today, that would be much cooler than calling them subs. These weddings sound so down to earth and fun. I want to bring the trend back. It's so different than the modern day, pristine weddings we see today.
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

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Easy tiger the food then was excellent,wholesome and the bread fresh and crispy. People were poor then so maybe that where we are headed.
~Peter~
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Re: Italian American Football Wedding

Post by Tessa78 »

Hi Peter :-)

Long time... glad to see you posting again!

T.
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