Trip to Acerra

Christmas Eve. I left the University early this morning at 6.30, and I arrived in Acerra on a new train from Napoli Centrale, just a few minutes before noon. Both of my readers of this blog know that my family originated in Acerra, and that I still have family in this ancient city. I know the town quite well, and can make my way around it on foot. This is always a good idea because the traffic is horrendous! But of all days to walk, Christmas Eve is the day.

The walk from the station of Acerra to the Boenzi home on via Sant’Anna is something that I can do in ten minutes, but I took my time because I wanted to buy some Christmas bread for my zia Olga.

Everyone was in the streets. The elderly, the children, the young: all chatting and laughing. The women were moving from shop to shop for the last-minute purchases for Christmas dinner… and Christmas Eve supper, which is a major event in these parts.

Over loud speakers there was Christmas music. Most of it came from American secular songs for the holidays like Jingle Bells, Rudolph, Santa Claus is coming to Town. Other children’s songs were playing as well, such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or Brahams’ Lullaby. Christmas decorations were never really a big thing in this part of the world, but I was surprised to see so many little Christmas elves climbing ladders and trying to get into the flats on Via Annunziata. They call these Babbo Natale, after the British name Father Christmas. This does keep with the American myth that Santa Claus is a one-and-only. There were so many of these little Santa elves in the same place… The decorations were funny rather than fabulous.

There were many young people dressed in Santa Claus outfits… or better, Mrs Claus outfits, since most were young women who danced in front of shops and handed out fliers with news of bargains and specials. It was noisy and chaotic (which is typical for Acerra anyway) but the sight of American Christmas kitsch was really disconcerting.

By 12.30, panettone in hand, I arrived at the home of Zia Olga, located on Via Sant’Anna. The house is 84 years old and in bad repair. Guglielmo Pepe, son of Olga’s late sister Gilda, has paid an architect to study the place. Measurements have been taken and the building is already being vacated of tenants (upstairs). Many of zia Olga’s possessions are in storeage in the garden shed. But I will talk of this later. I was warmly welcomed as I have always been, and am glad to be able to spend the holidays here with family.

After a light lunch, Zia Olga began to prepare the Christmas Eve dinner. In mid-afternoon my cousin Salvatore Boenzi arrived with his son Alberto. Zia Olga has a toy box for little three-year-old Alberto to explore, and Salvatore and I visited… catching up on news, the most important of which is that his wife Marisa is nearing the end of her pregnancy. They expect a second son at the start of the new year. So far they have not decided on a name because there are many family members that are tugging this way and that, and they are undecided. The important thing, however, is that Marisa is healthy and ready. Guglielmo Pepe, Salvatore’s first cousin and only other family member in Acerra, is a gynecologist and obstetrician (as was his mother Gilda and his grandmother Maria Concetta). Guglielmo will deliver the baby.

Salvatore Palmiro Boenzi with his firstborn son Alberto

Of course little Alberto (aka Albertomagno) is a bit nervous as to what this can all mean. He does not want to hear of little brothers because he is afraid that he will not be able to play as much once the new arrival enters the Boenzi home. Salvatore sighs at this… and says this is the whole point. “I grew up an only child; Guglielmo grew up an only child; Guglielmo’s son Giuseppe is an only child. I was very lonely as a child, and it became hard for me to understand others as I grew up. I want my children to live in Society, and that starts with the society of sharing in the family. For this reason also Marisa and I are very happy for this successful pregnancy. We finally break the current of having only one child!”

This is an interesting conversation on Christmas Eve as we await the birth of another Child!