Italy’s Festa della Donna has American Roots
I keep hearing about workplace related deaths in the Italian news, such as a factory fire in Turin in which several men died. Later, it was revealed that the only extinguishers on-site were empty! Every week there seems to be a new workplace tragedy in which lax safety regulations are to blame. Today I heard of an incident in Puglia, so I finally asked, ‘Is it just me, or is workplace safety a big problem in Italy?’
‘No, no, you are absolutely right,’ Angelo replied. (His manner of agreeing is a little confusing until you get used to it.) ‘Italy is way behind the states as far as workplace safety goes.’ I told him this surprised me, and asked if he’d ever heard about the female textile workers who died in a fire in New York City back in the early 1900’s. He said no.
So I explained that my mom told me about the fire when I was kid, and I never forgot because it was so horrifying. ‘The conditions were atrocious, practically slavery,’ I told Angelo. ‘When the fire broke out, the women could not get out of the building because their boss had locked them inside, so they burned to death. Luckily, the incident was widely reported, and other women went on strike. Their slogan was, ‘We want bread, but we want roses, too,’ meaning that they wanted to make a living wage, and have some beauty in their lives, as well. After that, a lot of reforms happened. They didn’t happen overnight, but workplace safety is a big deal in the states.’
Gradually, our conversation turned to other things, and in a twist of synchronicity, Angelo mentioned, ‘Today is La Festa della Donna. Have you heard of it?’ I hadn’t, so he went on to explain that every March 8th, Italian men give mimosa flowers to the important women in their life. ‘Sounds like something I should blog about,’ I said.
But when I looked up the origins of this holiday, I was surprised to see that it was inspired by, and occurs on the anniversary of, that very same textile factory fire in 1908, which just so happens to be today, March 8th! Many of the seamstresses who perished were Italian immigrants, which explains why it caught on over here, but it’s popular in other European countries, too. In fact, in Britain, the concept of ‘bread and roses’ has morphed to include ‘cocktails and strippers’ for many women, who celebrate by going out on rowdy ‘hen nights’ with their pals rather than waiting around for flowers.
Oddly, though, La Festa della Donna is not celebrated in the USA. When I mentioned this to Angelo, he said, ‘That’s because Walmart still keeps their employees locked inside.’
Well, he’s sure right on that last one, but I think that this is also the origin of International Women’s Day, if I’m not mistaken. Great post.
I think you’re right on the origin of International Women’s Day, but that’s not really celebrated much as a holiday in the states, you know? It’s not celebrated by individuals in the way that, say, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, or Halloween is. I’ve never heard someone ask, ‘So what are you doing for the women in your life this March 8th?’
[…] Although I believe we should be celebrated and spoiled everyday of the year, it’s nice to have a day carved out just for us. Hoped you have a fantastic Festa della Donna! I won’t go into detail about the origins of the day because Tui at Mental Mosaic and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso said it best. […]
Buona festa delle donne :) Indeedy do, the US started the whole thing and yet is just about the only country not to celebrate. Hope you got some mimosa :)
I hope you did, too! I’d never seen the flower before, just drank the cocktail on Christmas morning. :)
Interesting blog, I never knew about the 1900 incident, nor the holiday it inspired.
Knowing the background gives it a bit more meaning, in my opinion. Happy Festa della Donna to you, my dear! :)
Otanjobi Omedeto Gozaimasu! enjoy!
Easy for you to say! ;P Always nice to ’see’ you, Mike. :)
They celebrate international women’s day on March 8th in Russia too. But not with mimosa flowers - which BTW are actually wattle the Australian national flower. I was so surprised the first year I was here for the festival to see wattle everywhere.
So the mimosa is the same thing as the Australian national flower? I’d never heard of wattle before. Thanks for the tidbit, and thanks for stopping by! :)
I was in Torre del Greco on Mar 8 this year. I was given mimosa flowers for Festa della Donna.
I have been trying to find out what this is until now. Thank you, now i know.
Glad I could oblige, Julie! Hope you had fun in Torre del Greco. I haven’t been there, yet. :)