Phillip J. Toconita, Jr.: „Folklore of the Romanians of Saint Paul, Minnesota“

Saint Paul, Minnesota is the home of a group of Romanians that came to the United States in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Since the majority of these people were from small, iso­lated villages located in the wooded valleys and mountains of Romania, there was great opportunity for folk customs and beliefs to spring up and endure. Naturally, many of the tales, superstitions and customs were per­petuated in their new colony in Saint Paul. The early settlers built a small church and social center on the cor­ner of Woodbridge and Atwater Streets in the North End District of Saint Paul. They established their homes around the church and met each week after worship to discuss the local news in the Romanian language and to par­take of the social customs much as they did in Romania.
The following stories were told to me by my friends and relatives in our small ethnic community. Although I am only a second generation Ameri­can, my ties to the Romanian group are still strong and I can remember hearing most of the sayings and sto­ries when I was a child. >>>>>Phillip J. Toconita, Jr.>>>>>