Firstly, traditional music is played with instruments that have been around for centuries, such as the Zampogna (instrument similar to a bagpipe), accordions, various flutes and guitars. I got to see a traditional Calabrian music performance and hear a variety of songs. Most of them tell the story of Christmas and the Immaculate Conception, they were all sung in the Calabrian dialect, a different version of Italian that is a bit difficult to understand sometimes! Luckily, I was sitting next to a nice woman from Roccella who helped me understand the lyrics.
Food is another important part of this holiday. In Roccella, they celebrate with a type of fried dough called zeppole (sweet pieces of fried bread). They can have savory fillings like anchovies or can be enjoyed on their own. They can aslo be sprinkled with sugar and filled with other sweet things. At the zeppole stand in the piazza (plaza), I talked to Matilde, who has made zeppole with her family for her entire life! She told me every year on December 8th, she wakes up and immediately thinks “Zeppole!” Matilde explained that because the dough uses such simple, everyday ingredients, this is a tradition everyone can enjoy, no matter their social class. Zeppole have been made here for hundreds of years, and Matilde said that they taste like home. I thought they were absolutely delicious, I could eat them for every meal!
