Tuesday,
September 18, 2007
Princess Elena, Wife of Victor Emmanuel III
Was Princess Diana of Her Day.
The
ANNOTICO Report
Princess
Elena,
(the daughter of King Nikola Petrovic
of
The
Celebration of Princess Elena became associated with La Festa di San Michael,. History
records that Pope St.Gregory the Great
crossing the Bridge of the Angels in
According to the legend, the Pope saw the Archangel Michael standing on
the top of the fortress sheathing his sword. The vision accurately announced
the end of the plague. Later, the fortress was named the Castell' San Angelo in honor of the saint.
The
Festival features a greased pig, a greased pole, and
of course dancing and a grand fireworks display.
I found it interesting that this Society to honor a Princess, has only Male members(280), although it does have a Female auxiliary(125).
[
De facto
independent since the late Middle Ages and an internationally recognised country from 1878 until 1918, and later a
part of various incarnations of
Montenegro
is best recently known for being so presumptuous as to declare war on the
Ottoman Empire in 1912, by attacking the Ottoman fortress city of Shkodkr, and enticing the Empire to send a large
army, that was then ambushed by the forces of Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria
by pre-arrangement. This resulted in the ousting of the Ottomans from that
region.]
Principessa Elena Society a Part of
The
Saratogian -
By
Lewis Elia
September
17, 2007
The
Principessa Elena Society of Saratoga Springs was
founded in 1900,
a fraternal society for Italian men under the leadership of Pasquale LaBelle, its first president.
The society was named after Princess Elena, the daughter of King Nikola Petrovic of
Italians were fond of their royal family, especially of Princess Elena. Most of
the founding members of the society had emigrated from
These Italian immigrants brought many of their traditions with them to
According to the legend, he saw the Archangel Michael standing on the top of
the fortress sheathing his sword. The vision accurately announced the end of
the plague.
Later, the fortress was named the Castell'
La festa di San Michael became a major event in
During the day, a greased pig was let loose and every kid in the
neighborhood tried to catch it and win a prize. A greased pole was
erected and a wooden circle was built on the top
from which hung a bottle of Chianti, a salami, a mozzarella cheese, and a
handful of dollar bills, among various other objects. Anyone who made it to the
top could keep the prizes he could bring down. Teenagers drew lots to determine
their position and all tried to make the climb.
It was best to be a bit later in line so the first climbers would wipe the
grease off the pole. Usually the fifth or sixth climber would make it to the
top and attain victory.
After the children consumed all the cotton candy and pizza fritto
(fried dough) they could handle, night fell and the band would play. People danced
in the streets and once in a while a few aerial fireworks would be launched
to liven up the party. At nine o'clock, it was time to go south of town to Globenson's Corners where the big fireworks display
would take place. Cars jockeyed for the best spots and families put blankets
down on the ground for good seating at the big show.
For kids, the highlight of the show was the aerial bomb containing the
parachute flare. After the aerial burst a little parachute imbedded in the
bomb would emerge carrying a very bright, white flare
lighting up the entire countryside. The chute would open at a great height and
float to ground, usually about a half mile away. It seemed every kid in
Displaying the American flag was a good way to get the crowd to stand up and
cheer and a good way to end the festa.
The Principessa Elena Society is still thriving under
its current president,
Saratoga Springs History is written by Lewis Elia, a volunteer at The
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