The first Sunday in August fills the residents of a Wauconda subdivision with foreboding. Dozens of autos, filled with families, will descend on the old cottage. The cottage itself is an anomaly. It is more than 75 years old; the building with the attached lots reflects an historical time of summers spent “in the country.” Wauconda’s newer homes on smaller lots bespeak the modernity of the last quarter of the 20th century. The old cottage lives in a 30s movie. The building is deserted most of the year—another anomaly in this bedroom community.
But it is the sheer number of people who descend on the cottage that amazes. The first Sunday in August is the date of the annual Family Picnic. Hundreds of family members arrive to affirm their consanguinity and celebrate their Italian heritage. I refer to it as the Festival of Genetic Affirmation—an appellation bestowed with tongue in cheek as well as a great deal of pride.
This year commemorated 50 years of official Family Picnics, although family summer outings began decades earlier. The golden anniversary brought relatives from Germany, the East Coast, the West Coast, all over the Midwest, and across the street. The family picnic newsletter assumed gigantic proportions as memories and photos, some old as the cottage, were shared. A professional photographer was hired to document the event with “The Largest Family Picture Ever.” A website was established to view the 50th anniversary photos.
Cousins so numerous that it stymies the imagination share traditional Italian cuisine, old stories, kisses, and hugs. Each family member professes amazement over how children have grown. Each keeps unspoken how others are now so frail. The pleasure of each other’s company pervades every reunion. Additionally it is an occasion to remember family members no longer alive. Many are gone, but so very many others perpetuate the traditions.
The Family Picnic celebrates the four brothers and one cousin who left Calabria with nothing but hope, courage, and the willingness to work hard. My Grandfather, the oldest, arrived in 1904. Two years later a younger brother made the voyage. My Grandmother joined her husband in 1907. Others followed. Each brother and cousin came with the desire to become Americans, promising that their children would be free, educated, and have good lives.
The American dream was there to be earned with hard work. They worked hard. My Grandfather helped build the railroad west. He and my Grandmother owned grocery and fish stores that served their fellow immigrants. They worked to start a cartage company. Their family flourished. The old cottage reflected their success when it was purchased in 1939. It was a refuge from the city. Grandma finally had her own garden. The family swam, fished, played softball, and enjoyed the clean air. Family was everything.
The family worked hard and achieved the American dream my Grandfather promised in 1904. Subsequent generations renewed this dream for their children. Today great-great grandchildren begin families confident that even the youngest child will own that heritage. The Annual Festival of Genetic Affirmation assures the preservation and propagation of the promise of 1904. Every one of the successive generations honors the progenitors of their American dream on the first Sunday of August when they gather for food and fun at the old cottage. Grandfather would be proud.
But it is the sheer number of people who descend on the cottage that amazes. The first Sunday in August is the date of the annual Family Picnic. Hundreds of family members arrive to affirm their consanguinity and celebrate their Italian heritage. I refer to it as the Festival of Genetic Affirmation—an appellation bestowed with tongue in cheek as well as a great deal of pride.
This year commemorated 50 years of official Family Picnics, although family summer outings began decades earlier. The golden anniversary brought relatives from Germany, the East Coast, the West Coast, all over the Midwest, and across the street. The family picnic newsletter assumed gigantic proportions as memories and photos, some old as the cottage, were shared. A professional photographer was hired to document the event with “The Largest Family Picture Ever.” A website was established to view the 50th anniversary photos.
Cousins so numerous that it stymies the imagination share traditional Italian cuisine, old stories, kisses, and hugs. Each family member professes amazement over how children have grown. Each keeps unspoken how others are now so frail. The pleasure of each other’s company pervades every reunion. Additionally it is an occasion to remember family members no longer alive. Many are gone, but so very many others perpetuate the traditions.
The Family Picnic celebrates the four brothers and one cousin who left Calabria with nothing but hope, courage, and the willingness to work hard. My Grandfather, the oldest, arrived in 1904. Two years later a younger brother made the voyage. My Grandmother joined her husband in 1907. Others followed. Each brother and cousin came with the desire to become Americans, promising that their children would be free, educated, and have good lives.
The American dream was there to be earned with hard work. They worked hard. My Grandfather helped build the railroad west. He and my Grandmother owned grocery and fish stores that served their fellow immigrants. They worked to start a cartage company. Their family flourished. The old cottage reflected their success when it was purchased in 1939. It was a refuge from the city. Grandma finally had her own garden. The family swam, fished, played softball, and enjoyed the clean air. Family was everything.
The family worked hard and achieved the American dream my Grandfather promised in 1904. Subsequent generations renewed this dream for their children. Today great-great grandchildren begin families confident that even the youngest child will own that heritage. The Annual Festival of Genetic Affirmation assures the preservation and propagation of the promise of 1904. Every one of the successive generations honors the progenitors of their American dream on the first Sunday of August when they gather for food and fun at the old cottage. Grandfather would be proud.
[Note: Photograph taken on Labor Day 1945. Family celebrates Victory in World War II. Already some military members are home; others await de-mobilization.]
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