Mirabello Sannitico - Culture

Culture

The townspeople observe many feast days, celebrating in traditional style with parades, religious processions, and fireworks. The most elaborate celebration is for the feast of Saint George, the patron saint of the town. It is celebrated on 23 April. Others include the feast of Saint Joseph (19 March), Saint Anthony (June 13), Ferragosto (15 August), and Epiphany (early January) as well as Christmas and Easter. Many inhabitants still make their own wine; preserve tomatoes; make olive oil, and slaughter a pig shortly after Christmas (ritualistically imitating centuries of forebears who did the same to provide meat throughout the coming year).

Emigrants from this town are scattered throughout the world. From about 1880 to 1925 many settled in New York, Philadelphia and Cleveland. After World War II emigration to Canada, Switzerland, and South America was more common. The most common names in this town include D'Alessio, Baranello, Caruso,Timperio,Centritto, Di Biase, Fierro, Di Giglio, Di Lella, Di Camillo, Iademarco and Fantacone. Based on an unpublished ethnographic study, several surnames are highly distinctive to this town; such that if encountered anywhere in the world, could likely be traced back to Mirabello: Centritto, Fantacone, Iademarco, Iafigliola, Margiasso, Spicciati, Sulmona, and Volpacchio. Other names have historic origins in the town but are extinct in the town today: Di Giovanni and Perrotta. Of the surnames not mentioned, other common names include: Caiella, Damiano, D'Imperio, DiSisto, Di Vico, Fierro, Gugliemi, Anetti, Lazzaro, Lembo, Piacente, Marino, Rocco, Tucci, Spina, Stanziani, Verdone, Zappone, and Zingaro; but are relatively common in other places in Italy.