& a blog

ah the north end. what is about its thin, cloistered streets that makes me so romanticize the place?

perhaps its something to do with the area’s rich feast tradition. as a bastion of roman catholic italians for over 100 years, the north end has long inculcated southern european culture in the very heart of old boston (as in paul revere, the old north church, “one if by land, two if by sea,” etc.) the north end is filled with bakeries, pizzerias, soccer stores (and i am still trying to index all of them), fine restaurants, and religious societies, the strange stewarts of north end culture who run the yearly feast.

as far as i can figure it out, italian immigrants began founding religious societies to honor the areas of italy from which they hailed. each area of italia came with it’s own patron saint, and the immigrants to boston were not quick to forget the blessings of their saints upon their voyages and new lives in america. even today, when you walk around the north end, you will find old italian men playing poker, watching the red sox, and drinking wine on the stoops in front of old brick buildings with names like “the society of st. joseph.”

every summer, in the heat of late july and early august, these societies shut down whole blocks of the north end to celebrate the feast days of their saints. while they are technically one day feasts (and in fact, usually don’t take place when the north enders celebrate them) boston’s italians usually stretch the feast out into a three day affair. Friday night kicks things off, Saturday night usually has a large performance, and sunday will feature the parading of the patron saint through the streets of the north end.

i went yesterday, after living in boston since birth and failing to catch even a single feast. the feast in question was “st. joseph’s” and the lower half of hanover street was shut down to accommodate an entire carnival of games, small eateries, and merchants set up along the sidewalks of the street. they’re were also beautiful illuminated garlands hung over the entire “feast zone.”

in the warm july evening air, with the smells of carnival on an otherwise busy street with the enchanting glisten of the lights, i will confess that i was a little entranced by the whole event.

in the center of all the hub-bub, there was a single large sacristy also lit with circus lights, but capped off also with illuminated crosses. inside the gaping vestibule was a statue, apparently of st. joseph, with ribbons covered in dollar bills cascading down from his shoulders. my dad told me that placing a dollar on the saints was considered good luck, so i went forward, and kneeling in front of st. joseph, pinned a washington on to a yet unfilled ribbon. the two female assistants, flanking jospeh then gave me a pin and thanked me. it was a surreal experience, that fortunately was captured in bits by my dad.

if you ever have the chance to go to a north end feast, i highly recommend it. they are a wonderful. people are friendly and are happy to be out on the streets of boston in the middle of a hot summer night. two words of wisdom may help you have a better time: first, bike down. it is easy to get into the north end on a bike, but hellish to do so in a car. second, prime yourself before the trip, and always end your evenings in the north end with a cup of coffee (irish or otherwise) at the best cafe in boston, caffe dello sport.