Birthday

[Dima]

My Italian Mommom (grand-mother) and I always celebrated our birthday together.......March 16. She passed away years ago....at the age of 94. It made me very sad to not have her there celebrating beside me, so I always place a red rose on her grave on "our" birthday.


Not too long ago, however, I came across record after record indicating that she was actually born on March 14. After speaking with some family members, I found out that some of them thought March 16 was not quite correct, but no one ever looked in to it.


Regardless.....Happy Birthday Mommom. I WILL be by today with your rose.


Diane Marie

[CowryShells]

Have a very special day! My condolences for your loss.

[johnnyonthespot]

Not too long ago, however, I came across record after record indicating that she was actually born on March 14. After speaking with some family members, I found out that some of them thought March 16 was not quite correct, but no one ever looked in to it.

If you look carefully at the typical Italian "birth act" for the period in question (there is a nicely translated form in this thread, it doesn't say that the infant was born on that particular day, but that the infant "was presented" to the official on that day.

Thus, the birth act or certificate documents the date that the child's birth was recorded and not necessarily the actual date of birth. These two dates (date of birth vs. date of recording) often varied by a few days, especially for rural parents who did not live close to the comune center.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong on this point.

[PeterTimber]

Your right Johnny and it used to be that parents (The father) would notify the town officials of the birth of a child after the new Year if the male child was born in the last months of the prior year thus enabling the son to remain at home one year longer to contribute to the family income since once army service was completed the young men married. =Peter=

[misbris]

It was not too much different in this country when children were born at home with the assistance of a midwife. The midwife sometimes waited to have a number of births to record. Therefore, all the births were recorded on the same day. My father claimed he was born 3 days before his "official" birthday.

[johnnyonthespot]

It was not too much different in this country when children were born at home with the assistance of a midwife. The midwife sometimes waited to have a number of births to record. Therefore, all the births were recorded on the same day. My father claimed he was born 3 days before his "official" birthday.

Yes, but I think there is a fundamental difference -

US birth certificates, even when created days after the fact, still purport to record the actual date of birth. Even in the case of the midwife, she would go to the official on Friday and report that little Johnny was born the previous Monday. My father's New Jersey birth certificate clearly says that the date of birth was June 8 and the date of recording was June 11. My mother's New York birth certificate has a similar 3 day spread between the two dates which are both shown on the certificate.

The Italian birth act document (those that I have seen) makes no mention of the actual date of birth, only the date the child was "presented" to the official.

[liviomoreno]

...

The Italian birth act document (those that I have seen) makes no mention of the actual date of birth, only the date the child was "presented" to the official.

This is not true. All the Italian birth acts mention the actual date of birth and the date the child was presented.

Please post an example where the actual date of birth is omitted.

[johnnyonthespot]

Boy, I really got off-track on that one, didn't I? 8O

[liviomoreno]

Getting older and older...

[PeterTimber]

Alas allck Johnnie you too are experiencing cosmic moments. The actuarial tables are at their terminus and soon will run out of years to print! =Peter=

[Dima]

I did some more digging around. March 14th was the actual date of her birth. Oh well.....

[LinJ47]

Dear Dima,

My condolences too for your loss.

Just a thought, did it ever occur to you now that you've learned her correct birthdate that perhaps your beloved Mommom (grand-mother) actually always knew her birthdate, but perhaps she chose to share her birthday with you because she loved you so much!?! Maybe that was a special secret birthday gift to you that she kept all her remaining days so that she could celebrate and share in such a special way with her beloved granddaughter? Grandparents and their "grandies" share such wonderful and unique relationships. No doubt your Mommom treasured you!

Today, March 19th is St Joseph's Day and also marks the 6th anniversary of the passing of my mother who loved and cherished my sons and they also had very special relationship with their grandmother. Mom was 91 yrs 3 months 2 days when she passed and for the last three weeks of her life both in and out of the hospital she kept telling people Happy St Joseph's Day. I asked her why she kept repeating it over and over to everyone so far in advance and she said she just wanted to be sure to tell everyone to remember St. Joseph's Day. Little did we know that she would go to Heaven on that date, March 19th! Weeks later for some reason I googled St Joseph's Day to verify exactly what was its meaning. I had always been told that it was a celebration of giving thanks to St Joseph for preventing famine in Sicily. On google I was shocked to also learn that St Joseph is also the Patron Saint of the dying. My Mom must have known that all along but she kept it to herself and used this as her way to saying goodbye to us. Good Bless her and your dear Mommom and all the parents and grandparents who are with our Lord! May they all rest in peace and rejoice!

[Dima]

That is a beautiful story!! And yes....maybe she did know and kept it to herself. I DO know that sharing that day with her made me feel like I was more dear to her than any of her other grand-children.


She was a treasure.

[LinJ47]

Dima,

Then you were doubly blessed mia amica! Treasure those memories and share them with your descendants so that they will see how special your nonna was. It is your job to keep her memory alive so that other generations will know her.

God bless you for being such a loving and devoted granddaughter!

[nazca]

Hi Dima,
what a beautiful story.
I would like to place a rose on my greatgrandmother's grave like you. But she was buried in Chicago cemetery and i live in Palermo, Sicily.

God bless you.