My name is Maria Silvia Anichini, and I live in Chicago. I was born on May 22, 1987,
which would make me seventeen yeras old. My parent's names are Silvio and Rose Marie. I
have two older sisters; Cristina, who is twenty-one, and Amy who is nineteen. We are all first
generation Italian Americans. I have two cats; Rusty, who I've had since I was in kindergarten,
and Butterfly, who I've had since I was in the third grade. I am now a senior at Regina
Dominican High School, and will be attending Columbia College in the fall. My intended
major is Music Business. Someday, I would like to run my own record label.
In Italy, boys and girls open their Christmas gifts on January sixth, which is the
feast of the three kings. In my family, we do it a little bit different. We do something that we
call "the twelve days of Christmas". Technically, the twelve days of Christmas are the twelve
days between Christmas and the feast of the three kings. What we do in my family is that we
a few gifts on Christmas, and then open one a day until we reach January sixth, or until we
run out. We have done this in my family since before I can remember. I am pretty sure that I
will continue it with my own family.
My family does not have many religious traditions. One thing we do, though, is we
always say grace before eating meals. This is a tradition that many people have forgotten about
Saying a prayer before a meal is not as important to people as it was back when my parents were
younger. Still, this is something that my parents have decided is important, so they kept this
tadition going with my sisters and me.
A few summers ago, we had a family reunion. Everyone drove out to Wisconson to one
of my cousin's house. There were so many people there, and so much food. My uncle, who is a
priest, said a mass as soon as everyone had arrived. We all ate afterwards, and then caught up
with everyone. It was nice to have the family there, even though it was not everyone.
My family comes from italy. When they came to the United States, they brought along
with them all of their traditions, celebrations, and feasts. They shared it with their own families,
and hope that it will continue on. My family has many traditions. Some which came from Italy,
some that were adapted to fit our own needs, and some that are completely new. When I have
my own famil, I would like to talke them all, and share them so that they keep going on.
