We are offering many SPRING SPECIALS including 50% off many items, just in time for your upcoming holiday dinners.

We now have over 40 Titles of Sicilian Books on Art, History, Poetry Travel, Memoirs & MORE! Or order online and save $5.00 OFF your total order of $35.00+ (including sale items). Just enter DISCOUNT CODE PASQUA at checkout.

Also....Our Italian classes continue in April. Call Olga at the Lawrence store (978-686-7667) for details.

Finally, we will be offering two Cooking Classes on April 23rd at our Lawrence store 12:00 noon and 3:00PM. The classes have proven to be very popular and sell out quickly, so be sure to make your reservation early! Chef Marc Strout of Palmer's Restaurant will demonstrate how to prepare several succulent dishes. The $15.00 class cost includes eating Marc's creations following his hour long demonstration. Class size is limited to 20, so call and save space today! Groups are welcome too!
View our updated menus!!!

The fondest wish of many Sicilian Americans is to visit our beloved Island. As we move through life, due to the pressures that surround us... kids in schools, elderly relatives requiring our care, a demanding job.. sometimes we are prevented from realizing the dreams we hold dear in our heart.

The primary reason we decided to start this newsletter was precisely for those who, for one reason or another, have been unable to visit the land of our ancestors. Over the last three years, I have described celebrations and sites and shared stories about people I have met, to help you discover Sicily. Hopefully, some of you will experience Sicily soon, but for those of you who cannot, I have a solution. Join Arba Sicula! What is Arba Sicula?

Arba Sicula is the largest Sicilian-American organization in the United States, and through the work of its president, Professor Gaetano Cipolla, of St. John's University in Jamaica, New York it has done more to promote our cultural heritage than any other organization in decades.

Through this organization (which costs practically nothing to join....only $25.00 for a membership...even less for seniors), Professor Cipolla has organized annual trips to Sicily, promoted cultural events throughout the U.S., and most importantly through the publishing company, Legas, Professor Cipolla has pulled together in one place the most comprehensive collection of writings on Sicily in existence in the U.S. today. Additionally, twice a year, Arba Sicula publishes a book, free for its members, which covers an array of topics on Sicily.

Professor Cipolla was introduced to me by Dr. Joseph Privitera, Ph.D., a man whom I am proud to call friend and brother. I wrote a piece on Dr. Privitera called, “Unusual Man" which can be read at our blog site, www.allthings sicilian.blog.com (you can post a comment too!). Dr. Privitera has the distinction of having written many important books on Sicily, its history, art, culture, grammar and poetry. We email back and forth every day. He was a distinguished professor of linguistics, and served our country for decades in State Department postings around the world.

Today Dr. Privitera is nearly 93 years old. His mind is sharp as a razor; his daily writings to me still paint a vivid picture of life, and most importantly he writes every day.....in both Sicilian and English. Professor Cipolla has published many of Dr. Privitera’s books. I genuinely admire the burning love that both of these great men have for Sicily...and how both have toiled for decades to share that love with us as children of immigrant Sicilians.

In May Dr. Privitera will travel to Boston from his retirement home in Bethesda, Maryland to attend the graduation of his beloved grandchild, Christine, from New England School of Law. He will attend in a wheelchair and with oxygen. Last week he told me that he will attend the graduation even if he has to crawl to Boston from Maryland. That will give you a glimpse of the passion that he has for life.

As you know, other than informing our readers about Sicily and All Things Sicilian, we do not generally endorse anyone or any company in our newsletter. For Arba Sicula, however, we have made an exception.....we encourage you to join. For more information contact Professor Cipolla at: Professor Gaetano Cippola, Department of Languages, St. John's University, Jamaica New York 11499, or via email at cipollag@stjohns.edu.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Privitera’s books, along with the other books published by Professor Cipolla, are now available to purchase in our store and on our website. Check them out at on our expanded Book Section.

The Trinacria, the symbol of Sicily, has a face of a goddess in the middle of the symbol. Name that goddess:

a. Athena
b. Venus
c. Medusa
d. Hera

Visit our Quiz Site!!!

TRIVIA ANSWER: Medusa