“FOOTBALL WEDDINGS”

Never heard about “football weddings”? Well, if you are an Italian American it’s quite likely you had. “Football weddings” were a tradition among Italian American families, especially in the New York area, that started during the Forties. Back in the days, just a few were so wealthy to afford a proper wedding party with the catering and all the stuff. The most part of the celebrations consisted in tables covered with towers of sandwiches, and were hosted at home or at a casual hall.
This is where the “football weddings” were born. At at certain moment of the party, any of the guests shouts to a friend or a relative close to the buffet table which kind of sandwich has to be picked. Then the “quarterback” throws it to his “receiver”, who has to be quick enough to grab it avoiding other “interceptors”. That’s the sign: from then on, sandwiches flow across the room above talking heads and dancing people, totally fine with what’s happening. Nowadays wedding parties don’t need anymore to be livened tossing food across the room. Yet, especially when awaiting the night of the Super Bowl, a pinch of Italian American football tradition brings us a little joy.