LI Cuture Post

Immigration’s Secret Benefit: Zeppoles

Posted August 23, 2010 by Maryann Sinclair Slutsky

Long Island Wins Director Maryann Sinclair Slutsky writes a monthly column in the Anton Community Newspapers, which are published in 18 communities across Nassau County. This column appeared in late August.

There’s a reason we all love summertime on Long Island.

Beach trips, barbeques—we’ve picked a fantastic place to live and to spend time with family and friends.

But there are a lot of places with sand and sun. Summer on Long Island is also marked by a whole lot of really great culture – including festivals across the county that celebrate the rich influence that immigrants have had on our community.

As anyone who grew up on pasta fagioli and homemade “gravy” knows, one of the more notable festivals in Nassau County just passed this Sunday.

From August 12-15, the Dell’ Assunta Feast of the Assumption celebrated its 100th anniversary at St. Brigid’s Church in Westbury with Italian-Neapolitan music, fireworks, and games for kids, as well as a diet-destroying smorgasbord of lasagna, rigatoni, and pizza. And, of course, my personal summer favorite – the sugar and dairy treat known as the zeppole.

Italians were one of Long Island’s emerging immigrant groups a century ago, and some Italian immigrants settled near St. Brigid’s, in the New Cassel area. Many of those immigrants worked as landscapers on the wealthy estates of the North Shore and Old Westbury. Along with their economic power, they brought their traditions with them to Long Island, including the Feast of the Assumption.

But our newer traditions are a lot of fun, too.

To read the rest of this column, click here.


Image courtesy of jasonlam via Flickr.

Tags : anton, festivals, food, italian, nassau, salvadoran, zeppoles

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