New York Folklore Society's Voices

In Voices we present in words and images the traditions practiced by the people and communities of New York State. We want to hear from you! Send us family stories, interviews, recipes, reminiscences, anecdotes, songs, how-to columns, and more. We are also looking for photographs and sketches of people, places, objects, and community events to publish.

Altar prepared for la Fiesta de la Cruz de Mayo

Altar being prepared for la Fiesta de la Cruz de Mayo at Mt. Carmel Parish, Rochester (Photograph by Marion Faller).

NOTE: The New York Folklore Society Newsletter and New York Folklore Journal were replaced by Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore which debuted December, 2000.

New York Folklore Society
P.O. Box 764
Schenectady, NY 12301
518/346-7008
Fax 518/346-6617
nyfs@nyfolklore.org

Spring/Summer 1999

The Puerto Rican Year: Celebration and Community Identity Kate Koperski The following images, reminiscences, and songs are from an exhibition, shown at the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University in fall 1998, that looked at holidays and festivals that are uniquely Puerto Rican and their annual observance in western New York. . . .
La Fiesta de la Cruz de Mayo by Brother Luis Ruberte La Fiesta de la Cruz de Mayo is descended from an ancient Spanish festival know as La Maya. La Maya paid homage to local fertility goddesses, represented during the festival by young virgins, who guaranteed the health and abundance of crops. . . .
Fiesta de Mayo Songs contributed by Karen Canning The Fiesta de la Cruz de Mayo (The Festival of the Cross of May) combines ancient prayers and songs with contemporary instruments and reinterpretations, the earmarks of a truly living folk tradition. . . .
Santos Ramon Estrada-Vega Santos are hand-carved wooden images of saints or biblical themes. Scholars suggest that the first carvers in the Caribbean were sixteenth-century Dominican and Franciscan priests. . . .

From Our Readers

Dear Sir/Madam,
An addition to your survey results. As a town/village historian, I always am interested in your feature articles because of an open mind for new knowledge. However, I have never joined the society because of its almost exclusive coverage of New York City, the Catskills, and the Adirondacks with a goodly dash of the Hudson. There is rich folklore in the Genesee and the Niagara Frontier too. If your scope ever begins to expand, perhaps myself and other enthusiastic historians/folklorists of the "forgotten part" of the Empire State will take more interest.

David W. Parish, Town/Village of Geneseo Historian Geneseo, NY

Dear Mr. Parish,
Thank you for your letter in response to our newsletter survey. I am sorry we have disappointed you in the past by not featuring enough articles about western New York. You must have welcomed the article about fiddler Mark Hamilton (Clarksville, Allegany Co.) in our summer 1998 issue.

We rely on contributions from people all over the state for our articles, and unfortunately, we have gotten very few from people in the western part of the state. We have two articles on western New York topics planned for upcoming issues. Nevertheless, your letter reminds me to work harder at soliciting material from that part of the state in the future.

In the meantime, do you have any suggestions for articles (and authors) that you would like to relay to us? I would be very happy to publish more western New York material in the newsletter. Please feel free to contact me with your ideas.

Karen Taussig-Lux, Editor

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