This is an interesting process to study, and I don't know offhand of much work that has been done on it: how does migration affect calendrical systems and celebrations that were in their original location tied to subsistence, economy and the year cycle?
Speaking strictly impressionistically, from my knowledge of Italian immigrant customs in the North American diaspora, what tended to persist were celebrations associated with the patron saints of communities from which there were numerous immigrants -- e.g. see Bob Orsi's _Madonna of 115th Street_, or the more recent work on Boston's Italian festivals by Augusto Ferraiuolo (SUNY Press, 2009 -- don't recall the title offhand).
But patron saints' festivals were but a small part of the festive cycle of Italian towns and villages; the other observances, which were inevitably tied to subsistence and economy, did not fare as well in the urban environments of the East Coast.
There are two things I want to emphasize here:
1) Even within the general scope of a Northern European calendrical cycle, festivals and celebrations were everywhere *local,* and thus tied to local subsistence and economic patterns. This was just as true in pre-Christian times as it is today.
2) Although I have been critical of Pagan appropriation in other contexts, I'm with Sam when he says that modern Pagans need to attune to the cycles of the lands which they inhabit. This doesn't mean appropriating indigenous ceremonies or passing one's own ceremonies off as indigenous, but noting, observing and incorporating into one's celebrations the significant seasonal markers in the places where we live. It seems the least we can do if we want to call ourselves nature religions (rather than living room carpet religions).
Best,
Sabina Magliocco
Professor
Department of Anthropology
California State University - Northridge
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From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pitch [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:47 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Directional Symbolism in the Antipodes
Aloha,
On 8/25/2010 4:37 PM, Caroline Tully wrote:
However, the ‘Wheel of the Year’ does not “fit” at all in northern Australia which has a Wet season and a Dry season, mainly – from a settler perspective. It does fit better in southern Australia which has a semblance of four seasons. It depends on what one considers a “seasonal marker” though.
It occurs to me that we are talking about a meta-cultural
quandary here. Calendrical systems originating in any
culture or spiritual tradition will not be suitable at any
time or in any place across the planet. Holidays and
special occasions will express local or regional markers
that will be absent or out of synch at other locations.
For instance, the Pagan wheel of the year will be off
rhythm in the southern Hemisphere. But so will other
ritual calendars that come from the Northern Hemisphere.
Any info on how overseas Chinese or Indian communities
have adapted their calendars to Southern circumstances?
Do they miss the home seasonal markers? Do they create
imitation markers?
(When I have used these calendars, I've mostly considered
them as quite abstract technical reckoning systems.)
Musing Xmas In July Would Sure Feel Funny Here In Cascadia! Rose,
Pitch
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