July 16 brings the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and my mother’s name day––her Onomastico, in Italian. I will have to pull her earlobes today, as this is tradition for your Onomastico, at least according to Mom, though she does not remember why. Perhaps she never knew. Sometimes we just do what we do and don’t know why it’s done.
Be that as it may, July 16 and the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is, in fact, the name day for anyone called Carmela or any of the variants of the name: So, Buon Onomastico to all the Carmelas (spelled with one L or two), and to all the Camillas and Camilles, to all the Cammies, perhaps to all the Camerons, and to all the Millies, which is the name Mom typically goes by, and the name for which you know her best: she is the Millie in Millie’s Tea Towels, the hand-embroidered tea towels she makes that we sell here at the shop and on our website. I always assume it’s a good day to enjoy caramels, too, only because I don’t know how many years it took me, as a young boy, to grasp the difference between the words Carmel and Caramel. And perhaps it is a good day to be in Carmel-by-the-Sea in California.
What Mom remembers most about her name day is the feast in her old Brooklyn neighborhood: a feast that went on for many days each mid-July in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and still does to this day. Sausage & pepper sandwiches, fried zeppole, elaborate towers carried on the shoulders of strong men… mostly Mom remembers admiring the cute boys in the bands who played the old Italian songs.
I will also ask that you pray or put good energy into the universe on behalf of Mom: she had a fall a week ago and while she didn’t seem hurt at the time, she’s been having a good deal of trouble walking since. She’s been to the ER and there were X-rays, and she’s been to an orthopedic doctor and there is physical therapy to come, but not for another week, probably, which seems to us a long time to wait to get better when you’re 99, but maybe this is the state of medical care in the US these days? Today we got Mom a pedaling device she can use in her chair so her legs get some motion, at least. She has pedaled diligently twice tonight since the device arrived. And I’ve been here at the old family home helping out as much as I can. My sister and I help her get about, and we are working our best on getting Mom back to her old self again.
Other than that, she feels fine. A present arrived for her yesterday in the mail from a family friend, Joseph, in her old neighborhood. He sent her a scapular for Our Lady of Mount Carmel: a little devotional worn around the neck. And there Mom is, in the photo above, wearing her new scapular. She wore it all day when it arrived yesterday, and she wore it to bed, and she is wearing it now as I type this. Thank you, Joseph; your gift means a lot to her.
Each day brings a different Onomastico. Mine was just a few weeks ago, at Midsummer: St. John’s Day on June 24. No one wished me a buon Onomastico that day, but it’s ok. I’m not holding any grudges.
NEW SUMMER WORKSHOPS
We have two new workshops posted to our website at the WORKSHOPS page! The first is a new Convivio Cookery workshop: Ricotta Gnocchi, set for Saturday August 15, 2026. (That’s my Grandma Assunta’s birthday and she would love that we are teaching you how to make homemade pasta that day!) We’ll teach you how to make a lighter gnocchi; this recipe is from Grandma’s friend, Adeline, and it skips the heavy potatoes and instead uses fresh ricotta in the dough: a delicious and much lighter alternative.
The second workshop, in September, is a writing workshop that I am definitely participating in: True Stories Cleverly Told: Exploring Creative Nonfiction for Narrative, Essay, & Memoir with writer and literary agent Cricket Freeman, on Saturday September 19. Cricket is one of our favorite people in the literary world. You will learn a lot about writing and get a solid critique of your earlier work, should you wish to bring an example to class. The writing workshop is a full-day class that includes a delicious box lunch from one of our favorite local spots, Aioli in West Palm Beach. Class limit in each workshop is 8 people. Either workshop would make a fine onomastico present! Or a good day out of any sort for you and your friends or family.
So sorry to hear that Millie fell! Great to hear that she is exercising her legs while she is sitting though! Give her our love and best wishes for staying strong!
Thank you, Doreen. Mom says thank you! We’re all working on getting her stronger. Seth ordered the seated pedaling thing for her yesterday and got it here for us the same day! She’s about to use it again (after she finishing watching Mass on TV). I think it’s helping a bit already.
May God bless, strengthen and heal your mom, John.She sure is a beautiful woman! That little peddling machine will be great for her. It really kept my mom going for a long time as well. Little Italian ladies can really rebound, praise God! Please keep us posted in your next post which I bet will be for Lammas Eve!
And very happy belated name day to you my friend!
Thank you, Mary Beth, for both the good wishes for Mom and for my belated onomastico greetings!
I pray your mom gets back to her old self soon. My mom will be 95 in October. She has bursitis in her hip and got herself one of those pedaling machines. It helps her pain better than any medication ever did. She can feel the difference if she misses a day. It helps her mobility as well.
Here in Newton MA the Italian Community is celebrating the 91st Festa Della Madonna del Carmine. There are services in Church every night, a carnival with rides and games, bands and entertainment, and on Sunday a special Mass in the morning, the grand procession in the afternoon, and to close the feast a candlelight procession followed by the flight of the angel, fireworks, and then Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in Church. So much has changed but the tradition has continued. When I was a boy I remember some people walking in the procession barefoot. I don’t know how they did it on the hot pavement. In gratitude for favors received and prayers answered people would shower the Madonna with flowers as she passes by. Some also give gifts of jewelry, and of course there are the ubiquitous ribbons with money pinned to them. All the donations go to support local charities. Originally they were to pay death benefits to members of the society and their families and to help the needy. What stands out for me is that the Madonna del Carmine never fails to help her children. There are many accounts of miracles that the Society has collected. While the festa does celebrate Italian-American heritage, it is still a primary religious devotion. Evviva la Madonna del Carmine!
Hey Scott, thank you so much for your good wishes for Mom, and thank you for sharing your story about the Festa della Madonna del Carmine. How wonderful! I bet it is quite an experience. I love these things, and I’m glad you get to take part in the traditions. All our best to your mother, too. It’s good to hear the pedal machine is helping her! Mom pedaled twice today, for 10 to 15 minutes each session. I hope it helps. I think it will.
Sorry to hear about Millie’s fall. I didnt catch this earlier.
Praying for her recovery.