ABSTRACT
Like rites of passage, Italian American calendrical ritual-though grounded in the Catholic Church-spilled much of their substance into extra-ecclesiastical and even secular arenas. Calendrical ritual entailed a number of holidays that many Americans held in common but a number as well that were particular to either American Catholics or Italian Americans exclusively. Italian American holidays opened with the midwinter celebrations centering on Christmas. Notably, the Church’s recognition of its Italian parishioners’ special needs coincided with a period of increased proselytization of Italians on the part of Protestant organizations. The Pentecostali adhered to the Pentecostal tradition of speaking in tongues but likewise demanded that, when a congregant burst into tongues during the service, the requisite translations of the preternatural message be offered. Thus, the service seemed chaotic to those who chose to maintain their allegiance to the (relatively) staid Catholic mass.
