What started a century ago in Italy as a way to recognize the achievements of women is quickly catching on in the Town of Rotterdam as a regular social event.
The Rotterdam Sons of Italy Lodge No. 321 is hosting “La Festa della Donna,” also known as Woman’s Day, on Saturday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate and honor the achievements of five female lodge members. The event is taking place at the lodge hall on Hamburg Street in Rotterdam and reservations are required, with tickets available at the lodge. The celebration includes a dinner and Benita Zahn will be the guest speaker at the event.
While the event isn’t well known to everyone, there were some people eagerly waiting for it to be celebrated.
“It is catching on because when you will tell people we are celebrating La Festa della Donna they say, ‘It is about time’ because it has been going on for so long,” Lodge Trustee Dolores Scalise said.
This is the third time the Sons of Italy has hosted the event, which Lodge President Louis Fazzone said is growing into a popular tradition among members. The event actually started because a fellow member asked Fazzone about it.
“Someone came up to me and said, ‘In Italy every year they celebrate La Festa della Donna,’” Fazzone said. “I said, ‘Yes, okay, let’s do it.’”
The women selected to be honored during the event, said Fazzone, have made significant contributions to the lodge or community and are typically longtime lodge members. All women are honored by their male partners that evening, though.
“The men are going to serve,” Fazzone said.
“That is always nice,” Scalise replied
The staple of La Festa della Donna, which falls on March 8, is a yellow mimosa flower, which men will give to their partners. Scalise said the flowers aren’t easy to find nowadays.
“They used it to woo the women,” Scalise said of how the celebration started in Italy.
The dinner menu men will be cooking up includes antipasto salad, pasta primavera, tortellini alfredo, chicken cordon bleu, potatoes, vegetables, coffee and a dessert. Fazzone said the day is similar to Valentine’s Day, but holds a different meaning.
“We try to preserve the traditions of our ancestors, so if they do it over there we want to do it over here,” Fazzone said.
The guest speaker at the event is usually a successful female community member. Zahn was chosen this year to be the speaker due to her professional accomplishments and active role in the community.
Fazzone said he likes having an opportunity to honor the female club members and show appreciation for their accomplishments.
“These women have been very dedicated as club members and have accomplished a lot,” said Scalise.
