01. You have at least one relative who wore a black dress every day for an entire year after a funeral.

02. You spent your entire childhood thinking what you ate for lunch was pronounced 'sangwich.'

03. Your family dog understood Italian.

04. Every Sunday afternoon of your childhood was spent visiting your grandparents and extended family.

05. You've experienced the phenomena of 150 people fitting into 50 square feet of yard during a family cookout

06. You were surprised to discover the FDA recommends you eat three meals a day, not seven.

07. You thought killing the pig each year and having salami, capacollo, pancetta and prosciutto hanging out to dry from your shed ceiling was absolutely normal. (Wow, that's really Italian!)

08. You ate pasta for dinner at least three times a week, and every Sunday, and laughed at the commercial for Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti day.

12. You thought nylons were supposed to be worn rolled to the ankles.

13. Your mom's main hobby is cleaning.

14. You were surprised to find out that wine was actually sold in stores.

15. You thought that everyone made their own tomato sauce.

16. You never ate meat on Christmas Eve or any Friday for that matter.

17. You ate your salad after the main course.

18. You thought Catholic was the only religion in the world.

19. You were beaten at least once with a wooden spoon or broom.

20. You thought every meal had to be eaten with a hunk of bread in your hand

21. You can understand Italian but you can't speak it.

22. You have at least one relative who came over on the boat.

23. All of your uncles fought in a World War.

24. You have at least six male relatives named Tony, Frank, Joe or Louie.

25. You have relatives who aren't really your relatives.

26. You have relatives you don't speak to. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

27. You drank wine before you were a teenager.

28. You relate on some level, admit it, to the Godfather and the Sopranos. I maka a meata ball you can't refuse! .

Forrgetttabbboutit! Badda bing!

29. You grew up in a house with a yard that didn't have one patch of dirt that didn't have a flower or a vegetable growing out of it.

30. Your grandparent's furniture was as comfortable as sitting on plastic. Wait!!!! You were sitting on plastic.

31. You thought that talking loud was normal.

32. You thought sugared almonds and the Tarantella were common at all weddings.

33. You thought everyone got pinched on the cheeks and money stuffed in their pockets by their relatives.

34. Your mother is overly protective of the males in the family no matter what their age.

35. There was a crucifix in every room of the house.

36. Wakes would be held in someone's living room.

37. You couldn't date a boy without getting approval from your father. (Oh, and he had to be Italian)

38. You called pasta 'macaroni'.

39. You dreaded taking out your lunch at school

40. Going out for a cup of coffee usually meant going out for a cup of coffee over Zia's house.

41 Every condition, ailment, misfortune, memory loss and accident was attributed to the fact that you didn't eat something.

42 Those of you who get this . . . YOU KNOW who to pass it on to!

and oviously we don't count very well....

growing up sunday dinner was always the entire extended family. we always ate sauce. it was either one kind of sauce or the other. spaghetti or every other kind of pasta.

Man,you better be an Italian/ Bob Rizzi " A BRONX, NY BOY"

gulp... how about irish italian. i can relate to waaaaay toooooo many of them.:D

43. Dress slacks, a wife beater and a gold necklace were your dads Sunday "around the house" attire

I live in RI so I'm Italian by osmosis. Anyone else call "sauce", "gravy"?

There's red gravy and brown gravy.

And I'm always surprised to go to a friend's house on a Sunday afternoon and find enough food to feed 10-12 people. I say, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were have company. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

And my friend says, "Sit down, it's just the four of us." :D

I can honestly say I dont know what you talking about!

x2

Used to go to Uncle Franks for sunday dinner, He had an extra kitchen in the basement as well as 2 bathrooms. Dinner would start at 1 and end about 6 or 7. First course antipasta, second course Noodles and gravy, third course turkey and stuffing, fourth cours lasagna and meat (veal or pork gooked in gravy). then a salad, followed by deserts from the bakery around the corner. And god help you if you didn't eat, Aunt Louise would not take it well. lots off cheek penching and money stuffing- On a good sunday when the whole family was there us kids would lever with $30-$40. Trying to give it back was an insult..

Wow, so true. About all of them, actually.

I got the wooden spoon or the white rubber spatula a few times!!! :D

gulp... how about irish italian. i can relate to waaaaay toooooo many of them.:D

I grew up in an Irish/Italian neigborhood in Philly and many of those things listed apply. I do miss the great meats, cheeses and pretty girls. They don't know how to eat up there!

We had an Italian faimily that ran a shoe repair shop! It was always a treat to go there and watch and listen and Mrs Geraci was always cooking!
I wouldgo there for new heels or half soles onmy cowboy boots about three times a year. I would sit and talk to Mr Geraci or one of the sons (5 no daughters) while he did the repairs.
Inevitably Mrs Geraci would come out to see who was visiting, take one look t me and say "you poora starving thing you, you are a too skinny" then grab me by the arm and lead me to the back where they lived and set me at the table and out would come the food!
I could have ate there every day if they would have let me! But then I would have ended up weighing 400 lbs!:D

OK, quick lesson on tomato sauce and tomato gravy. These are different.

Tomato sauce starts with olive oil, minced garlic and onion.

Tomato gravy starts with olive oil, minced garlic and onion, "and" meat drippings.

Either way, it's on the stove by 7:00 AM on a Sunday morning ( cause it has to simmer all day to be ready for dinner at 4:00 after the game is over). Nothing like waking up to the smell of fresh garlic, sausage and meatballs cooking and fresh brewed coffee early in the morning!

PS - for the hardcores, you know this already: macaroni is Ziti, Rotelle, etc. Spagetti is only spagetti; linguini & fettucini stand alone.

With minor exception and changes, sounds a awful lot like life for anyone who was a kid in the 50's and 60's.

Good memories! :thumbsup:

I married an Italian woman, one of seven, yes seven, sisters. The mom, the spinster aunt (who, according to the father, will die wondering), and seven girls all in one house with only one bathroom. :eek: That's a lot of estrogen.

My wife will undoubtedly have stories to back up almost all of the things on the list.

I still don't get how there can be 5 or 6 of them sitting around a table and there are a minimum of 4 conversations going on at the same time. Who's listening? And another thing, why do they ask you a question and then before you can answer they start talking to someone else? :mad:

Love the food and the girls and the garlic and the family get togethers..man it cant be beat!!.god forbid if uncle louie died, but man the spreads after the funeral were awesome!!!..bada bing baby!!..23 years in the garbage disposal business!! Retired captain..

I still don't get how there can be 5 or 6 of them sitting around a table and there are a minimum of 4 conversations going on at the same time. Who's listening? And another thing, why do they ask you a question and then before you can answer they start talking to someone else? :mad:

when i head north to make dinner for family, my wife is amazed that i can carry on a conversation with my mom, grandma, aunt, and her all at the same time, and never miss a beat. it's just the way we grew up, and waiting for the nona's to arrive during christmas season. three women in the kitchen cooking and baking 24/7. it was all sureal.

my great nona's only spoke itialian but understood english, my grandma could speak itialian and english, my mom understands itialian but only speaks english. it was quite amazing to watch a conversation....

Bill, there is a place in the BRONX, NY called Arthur Ave, 2 solid blocks of Italian food,pastries and ices. It is a neighborhood where a beautiful church MT. CARMEL resides. The doors are left open because you do not mess around in that neighborhood if you know what I am talking about.... I THINK SOME "OLD ITALIAN" started the saying:eat,drink and be merry or else !!! Bob Rizzi

Speaking of NYC, I remember going to Il Vagabondos when I was a kid. Talk about a cool joint!!! :D