The Wedding Feast At Cana

When Jesus of Nazareth transformed water into wine at a wedding feast in the city of Cana, it can only be assumed that the wedding was a humble affair. The son of a carpenter and a known associate to some of the poorest people in the land, Jesus of Nazareth wasn’t likely to have been a guest at a formal banquet. And yet that is exactly as the Venetian painter Paolo Veronese depicted the wedding feast at Cana in his masterpiece of the same name.

Along with the artists Tiziano and Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese was one of the founders of the Venetian School, a movement in art that occurred as part of the Italian Renaissance. The movement is best known for the sumptuous colors used in many of the paintings. It is the coloring of The Wedding Feast At Cana that most people notice first. Vibrant, bold colors contrast against each other below, while pure white marble thrusts upward into a brilliant azure sky above.

The Wedding Feast At Cana is not considered to be one of the greatest paintings of all time simply because its colors are so beautiful. The talent exhibited by Paolo Veronese in creating the painting isn’t the reason either, though the painting is expertly executed. No, The Wedding Feast At Cana, like so many other paintings, is so well regarded because of its meaning.

In the painting, we see Jesus of Nazareth not as a guest at a wedding feast, but as the host, sitting at the center of the table. Surrounding him are various figures that would be found at a wedding, including guests, entertainers and servers. Above Him, a lamb is butchered, symbolic of the sacrifice Jesus would make in just a few years. But above the butchered lamb is a clear blue sky where three birds fly. Symbolic of Heaven and the Holy Trinity, Veronese shows that eternal life comes above any sacrifice, even the sacrifice of Jesus.

This subtle symbolism gives the painting meaning, a meaning that becomes even clearer when you consider the setting of the painting. From the Renaissance architecture to the costumes and even the musical instruments, this painting is set in the time of Veronese, not the time of Christ.

Why would Veronese depict a traditional story about Jesus of Nazareth in such a contemporary setting? Possibly, he wanted viewers to connect with the life of Christ in a personal way. He wanted them to not view Jesus of Nazareth as a historic figure from a long time ago but as the living God, relevant in the beginning, now and forever.

Paolo Veronese would go on to paint many other beautiful works, some even more beautiful than The Wedding Feast At Cana. However it is The Wedding Feast At Cana that is regarded as his masterpiece, The symbolism and daring retelling of an ancient story in a contemporary setting combine with Veronese’s skill and color choice to make The Wedding Feast At Cana not just his masterpiece, but one of the greatest masterpieces of all time.

How To Play Tresette

Card playing has always been a major part of the Italian lifestyle. The games are typically easy to learn and lend themselves to hours of socializing and theatrics. For a culture that has made an art form out of the most mundane activities like drinking coffee, card-playing looks like it will remain part of the Italian lifestyle for years to come.

One of the most popular card games among the Italian people is Tresette. Designed for four players, Tresette is a trick taking game in which players compete to win individual hands. The winner of a hand keeps the cards played during that hand, which may be worth points.

An Italian deck of cards is recommended to play Tresette. Italian cards can be found at most Italian specialty shops or on the Internet. If you cannot locate a deck, simply remove the 8s, 9s and 10s from a standard deck.

Players on the same team face opposite of each other and cards are dealt out face down, five at a time, until there are no cards left. Each player holds ten cards in their hand and then arranges them in order. In Tresette, the cards are ranked as follows: 3 (high), 2, 1/Ace, Re/King, Cavallo/Queen, Fante/Jack, 7, 6, 5, 4 (low).

Before play begins, players scan their hands to look for special point scoring combinations. A team can earn points if a player has Four of a Kind, Three of a Kind or Napoletana. A Four of a Kind consists of four 3s, four 2s or four 1s and is worth 4 points. A Three of a Kind consists of three 3s, three 2s, or three 1s and is worth 3 points. A Napoletana consists of a 3, 2 and 1 of the same suit.

If a player has any of these combinations, they declare it by naming their combination and showing it to the other players. The same cards used to make up a Napoletana can also be used to make up a Three or Four of a Kind.

After the declarations are made and points are recorded, play begins. The player to the dealer’s right leads first with any card. The other players must play a card of the suit that led, if they have one. If they don’t, they can play a card from any suit. When all four players have played a card, that is called a trick and the player who threw the highest ranked card of the leading suit wins the trick and keeps all the cards played. He leads the next trick.

Play continues counterclockwise until all ten tricks have been played. Players then count the cards they have won and add up their points. 1s are worth 1 point. 3s, 2s, Res, Cavallos and Fantes are worth 1/3 of a point. The winner of the last trick wins a point. Aside from points won from declarations, there are 11 points available per deal, ten from playing and 1 from the last trick.

When counting points you must round down so that 1 and 2/3 points is only worth 1 point. Teammates then add their points together and the player to the dealer’s right takes the cards, shuffles and deals a new hand. The first team to reach 21 points wins the game.

Tresette is often played as a series of games and there are certain scoring combinations that can win more than one game at a time. If a team wins all ten tricks, that team earns a Capotto and wins 2 games. If one player of a team won all ten tricks, that player earned a Capottone and his team wins 6 games. If a team wins all eleven game points, but didn’t win all the tricks, that team earned a Stramazzo and wins 3 games. If a single player wins all eleven game points but didn’t win all the tricks, that player earned a Stramazzone and his team wins 8 games.

In Tresette, there are often friendly wagers placed on each game. For example, players may wager a round of drinks per game. So, if a team earns a Stramazzone, they win 8 rounds of drinks. The multiple game victories are unique to Tresette and keep the game popular throughout Italy and Italian America. The next time you are looking for an easy, lively way to spend time with some friends, bring out the cards and deal a game of Tresette. You’ll become closer to your roots and happy to be there.

Hippomenes Remembers To Say Thank You

How many times, in despair, have we turned to God and prayed for help? And when help arrives, how many times have we forgotten to say thanks? It is not just God we forget to thank. Friends, family and loved ones who lend us a hand during our times of need often get neglected by us during better days, as well. This is an old problem, and our ancestors told the following story to warn against forgetting to thank those who helped us.

Atalanta was a woman as well known for her astounding speed as for her astounding beauty. She was, by far, the fastest runner and most beautiful woman in the land. No man could out run her and no woman could surpass her beauty.

Although her beauty and speed were equal, Atalanta cared not for appearances. She cared only for competition, the thrill of the race. In order to get men to race her, she promised her hand in marriage to whoever could beat her. But, just to make the races more exciting, if a man challenged Atalanta and lost, he would pay with his life.

Such was the beauty of Atalanta that week after week, men would travel from far and wide for the chance to win her hand in marriage. And week after week, many men were put to death as none could out run fair Atalanta.

Despite this, when young Hippomenes caught his first glance of Atalanta, he too wanted to try and win her hand in marriage. He prayed to Venus, the goddess of love, that she may help him win the race and the hand of the beautiful Atalanta.

Venus heard the prayer of Hippomenes and told him to pluck an apple off a nearby apple tree. He was to carry the apple with him during the race and when no one was looking, to throw the apple. Venus would insure that the apple would distract Atalanta and Hippomenes would win the race.

The race began and at first it was Hippomenes who was distracted. As Atalanta ran, her hair blew back from her body and she was truly a sight to behold. Hippomenes almost forgot about the race as he watched her take off but quickly caught himself and began to run. Atalanta began pulling away from Hippomenes. as the two ran out of sight of the crowd. Hippomenes threw the apple he was carrying and it landed up ahead of Atalanta.

True to her word, the goddess Venus enchanted the apple and Atalanta was captivated by it. Forgetting the race, she ran over to the apple and tried to pick it up. Surprisingly, the little apple was quite heavy. As Atalanta lifted the apple, she noticed Hippomenes running past her. Suddenly aware that she risked losing the race, Atalanta got up and began to race again. But the weight of the apple slowed her down.

Even with her speed, Atalanta couldn’t catch up with Hippomenes and he won the race and her with it. Atalanta wasn’t upset, however. Hippomenes was quite handsome and Atalanta was glad to spend her days with a man such as he. The crowd cheered for Hippomenes and Atalanta and the two walked off to begin their life together.

In the glow of victory, Hippomenes neglected to thank the goddess Venus for her intercession. And this angered Venus. As Hippomenes and Atalanta walked past an old cavern, Venus enchanted both with amorous desires and the pair snuck into the cavern to consummate their marriage. But this was no ordinary cavern. The cavern was an ancient worship site of the forest spirit and Hippomenes and Atalanta had desecrated it.

As punishment, the forest spirit turned Hippomenes and Atalanta from beautiful young humans to rigid stone lions. As the two began to transform, Hippomenes called out to Venus for help again. But this time, Venus did not help Hippomenes. She replied that she could not hear the prayers of one as ungrateful as he and Hippomenes and Atalanta were transformed into stone lions.
At the entrance of the cavern Hippomenes and Atalanta remain, in the form of stone lions. They stay there to guard the sacred cavern from future invaders and also to warn all of us that if we fail to properly thank those who help us, they may not be there when we need their help again.

Can Saint Joseph Really Sell A House?

Have you ever heard that burying a statue of Saint Joseph in your backyard will help you sell your house faster? This may sound like nothing more than a silly superstition, but more than 2 million Saint Joseph statues are sold every year for this exact purpose. In order to understand the popularity of this tradition, you must understand Saint Joseph.

As the husband of the Madonna and the foster father of Jesus, Saint Joseph is viewed as the patron saint of the home. He protects women and children and inspires husbands and fathers. This is why he comes to the aid of those who need to sell their home. But in order to gain his assistance you must do more than just bury a statue in your backyard.

The devotion to Saint Joseph, like the devotion to other saints, is based on the belief that he will plead to God on your behalf. Simply burying a statue of him in your backyard is not the way to gain his assistance. Neither is treating him like a novelty act. But if you bury a statue of Saint Joseph in your backyard and sincerely pray to him for his assistance, you may just find yourself sitting at a settlement table in no time.

The Unofficial Patron of The Abruzzi

Saint Gabrielle may be the official patron saint of the Abruzzi, but most who come from that central Italian region turn to Saint Donato in times of need. A bishop from the 3rd century, Saint Donato once cured a man of epilepsy with the touch of his hand. His healing powers were well known and to this day many Abruzzese carry a unique medal that depicts Saint Donato standing on a crescent moon. The crescent moon symbolizes the ancient horns that people used to ward off the Evil Eye. Saint Donato stands on it because he is stronger than any ancient amulet. He is the only protection you need from the Evil Eye.

The Patron Saint of Breast Cancer

In one of the more violent stories of Christianity’s early days, we find Saint Agatha, a Sicilian martyr from the third century. Agatha was a beautiful noble woman who was also a devout Christian. Rather than publicly punish her for being a Christian, the local magistrate decided to seek a trade from Agatha. He offered her immunity for her beliefs is she would submit to his desires. She would not. So she was thrown into a brothel, where she wouldn’t take customers and instead converted the patrons to Christianity.

The magistrate had Agatha thrown into a jail cell but not before drawing his sword and cutting off her breasts in a fit of rage. Agatha remained calm while enduring her torture in silence. That night a man who fit the description of Saint Peter visited Agatha in jail. The two spoke and Agatha cried but no guard dared intervene. The following morning, Agatha’s breasts had healed.

Today Saint Agatha is believed to help women who suffer from breast cancer. Many stories are told of women who experience a miraculous recovery on the eve of a mastectomy. Saint Agatha had gone through that pain and tries to prevent anyone else from having to experience it.