A Meatless Friday—oh, the choices!
April 3rd, 2009Filed under: Collections
A few weeks ago, I shared my favorite artifact from the Chicago History Museum collection, a 1912 ballot box. During this Lenten season, as Holy Week for Christians approaches, I would like to share a photograph that became one of my fast favorites as I combed our photo collection while working on the Catholic Chicago exhibit. It is part of a fabulous set of 1950s- and 1960s-era slides documenting celebrations of an unknown Italian-American family in Chicago. Yet even without a specific name or neighborhood to link to this image, the picture is worth a thousand words—wordlessly. A little girl, in her perfect plaid jumper and blouse, looks positively stunned by the array of seafood before her, most likely in celebration of St. Joseph’s feast day, which is celebrated with a giant family meal and table honoring the saint.
St. Joseph’s Day occurs during Lent, a Christian period of 40 days of sacrifice and self-discipline in honor of the period that Jesus spent in the desert resisting the temptations of evil. Lent precedes Easter Sunday, which honors Jesus’ resurrection. Christians observe Lent in different ways and typically give up a treat or a comfort during this time in addition to abstaining from meat (of an animal with hooves) on Fridays. Some people fast more often and adhere to greater diet restrictions, but generally seafood and shellfish are permitted, hence the great tradition of Friday fish frys and macaroni and cheese dinners, or tuna noodle casserole with peas. The table of delicacies this little girl is eyeing seems a far cry from battered fish and chips and was clearly assembled for a very special day. I get the sense, though, that she must have enjoyed many great Italian family meals throughout the year.
During Lent, stories about what people decide to live without are always fun to hear about in Chicago. People get creative about what they will sacrifice, and it goes way beyond sweets, potato chips, coffee and cigarettes these days, particularly during lean times. Some give up sex, shopping, movies, or video games. Is anyone out there willing to give up texting or Blackberries? If you observe Lent, what are you living without right now?
Tags: Catholic Chicago, community, food, Jill Grannan, Lent, tradition
April 7th, 2009 at 9:06 am
Jill- What a great, great account! The one Lenten consumable omitted above, that came to my family by way of the Italian side of my family, is the classic Pepper and Egg sandwich. The scrambled egg sandwich, served on Italian bread with sweet peppers and hot giardiniera, became a Lenten mainstay as a reputable substitute for the Italian Beef. Go to Fiore’s Italian Deli @ Erie & Oakley to sample this sandwich. Go now!