For those of you who have been reading ‘News from Italy’ in it’s various past forms of newsletters and older blog posts for a number of years you will already know that if it is January, it is likely that we will be very busy pruning. That is exactly what we have been doing during the fine spell of weather we have been enjoying recently, although these days it is not just olives to prune as it was at our old house.
December or January is also the normal time time for an important event that takes place in many parts of rural Italy, the Annual Pig Slaughter. You may remember that our wonderful neighbours had a large number of our windfall apples in the autumn to feed to their pig. Wine Lesson + Apples
Many of our neighbours in this locality raise at least one pig a year, that keeps them well supplied with pork/maiale including salami/salumi and sausages/salsicce.
Last year we actually participated in this event and I wrote about it for a blog post. Annual Pig Celebration 2010 Post This year we were away on our UK Road Trip when the slaughter took place and missed joining in the celebrations that are part of the occasion. Soon afterwards the sausage making takes place and I also missed watching that this year. Our neighbours therefore invited us round for an official sausage tasting supper recently just because we missed out on the big celebration lunch itself.
These photographs are taken from last years post as I did not take my camera with me the other evening but the album of photos of last year is available to view on Flickr.com if you are interested. The Pig 2010
Life is still lived very much by the seasons using produce that the land and their hard work provides for this kind Italian couple. Without a doubt they are not unusual here, there are very many families all over Italy that still live this type of life controlled by the rhythm of the seasons.
All photographs used are my own 
All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection
How wonderful to live by the seasons. My mother's people did that in the mountains of North Carolina but all have left now and "improved" their lives.
ReplyDeleteNone of our neighbours have pigs but they all seem to have a few sheep, even our Doctor. If I had a pig around the place it would never get to the abbatoir I am certain. Just one floating around would surely become a pet!! Diane
ReplyDeleteI love visiting your blog. It reminds me of the cycles of the seasons as they are lived in locations such as yours. How wonderful to be reminded of the passage of time by noticing things beyond the added wrinkles in your face! In So. California, cycles are more subtle, but if you pay attention, you can still notice them. The sausage looks fantastic. :-)
ReplyDeleteI also think that it is lovely to live life by the seasons like that. Are those sausages delicious ? Not sure that I would actually like killing the pigs, but I suppose needs must!
ReplyDelete"life controlled by the rhythm of the seasons"
ReplyDeleteThat is what I want.
Thank you.
how interesting...I'll go and check out your post from 2010 about it. Love reading about life in Italy, so very different from life here in Texas :) Keeps me intrigued!
ReplyDeleteYum, those sausages look delicious! :) On my way to your 2010 post, ciao!
ReplyDeleteI have to get me and little boy over to your neck of the woods sometime soon...
ReplyDeleteI'll bring the wine, bread and big appetites. Heck, I'll even chip in with the pruning for some of that sausage.
Baci
E xx
I would love to participate in such an event! A friend from Spain just bought me a sopressada sausage from Mallorca after their annual pig slaughtering
ReplyDeleteWell, while I loved the thought of the olive harvest...the pig slaughter really creeps me out! I eat meat and I like sausage. I know it comes from pigs, but somehow the thought of raising one and then killing it and making sausage from it just gives me a chill. I don't really like to think about where my meat comes from and I certainly don't want to have "met" the donor! Now, the festival atmosphere and the food sound great, as long as I wasn't friends with the pig!
ReplyDeleteDiane@ It is difficult I agree having had a few sheep as pets when our girls were young!
ReplyDeletePatricia@ Love your comment about wrinkles! Yes the sausages are delicious.
Laura@ It is a good way of life.
Marissa@ I am so happy you enjoy my posts.
Kia@ they are very tasty.
Eleonora@ I hope you will do so one day.
Nuts about food@ maybe as you are in Italy you will get the chance some day.
Those sausages look wonderful! I love the idea of living life based on the seasons and seasonal tasks. How far away most of us have gotten from the rhythms of nature. You are lucky and I love living vicariously though you!
ReplyDeleteWelcome back! Lovely to see all your photo's, and what a snow in Luzern! I wasn't here in Switzerland at that time, but also got plenty of snow in Amsterdam.
ReplyDeleteLiving by the seasons, it sounds so romantic! Thanks for stopping by today, have a good Wednesday!
Maureen
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ReplyDeleteMy grandad used to be a "norcino" ("norcineria" means the art of making salami, sausages, ham and other yummy coldcuts)..he's too old and ill now but still enjoy making some salami for our family with pigs raised by a friend of his.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy pruning Lindy! ..which seems to be gardeners' favourite sport at this time of the year! ;-)
You've just transported me to Italy with you for a visit. Fresh sausage? Yum!
ReplyDeleteI love reading the mixture of your two blogs. It makes me wish you lived closer!
ReplyDeleteI do like the thought of living closer to the seasons....fruit, especially, always tastes delicious in its 'real' season.
Sarahx
I bet they are tasty, yum! I'd love some for my polenta, please! Hehe ;)
ReplyDeleteNo haggis (we do not like offal) or whisky for us, only neeps and tatties. But we spent a nice evening readying Burns poems. :)
Last year, as well as this one, I offered to help A's mom with the sausage making. I am fascinated and want to learn how to do it. (As well as half a dozen other things she does at home! I love the old way of life) But the timing was never quite right and I am now hoping for next season.
ReplyDeleteAs fas as life cycles go, I found that my life in the States was a repeat of one day to another, broken up by what could be an interesting weekend. Here living differently with the seasons is far more interesting.
IcyBC@ Thankyou for calling by and letting me transport you.
ReplyDeleteKia@ An Italian celebrating Burns Night in Scotland, I like this :)
Romancing Italy@ I am sure there is so much you want to learn, there is something special about the less stressful way of life here isn't there.