No registration is required and admission is free for our events.. Doors open at 4:45 pm and seating is first come, first served until capacity is reached. The community is invited to bring something to share in the reception following the program.
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The Land Where Saints Walk with Witches: Rediscovering Italy’s Folk Traditions
May 2, 2027 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
In “Italian Folklore: Rituals, Celebrations, and Ancient Traditions,” Dr. Gina M. Miele, professor of Italian at Montclair State University, charts the living wisdom embedded in Italy’s regional traditions, from the malocchio and sacred herbs to November vigils for the dead and the guaritrici who preserved healing knowledge in secret. In her presentation, she will take us on a journey through all twenty regions of Italy, introducing the saints, witches, storytellers, and customs that animate Italy’s rich folk culture. Drawing on more than two decades of fieldwork, she reveals how these traditions continue to shape Italian and Italian-American identity, and why they matter now more than ever.