MAGIC WANDS: Joan Festa of Alameda, Calif., was in Bradford over
the weekend – at least in spirit.

She writes, “I’m a long-time Californian but with great pride I
claim Bradford as my hometown. The Festa Italiana article in
today’s Era which mentioned ‘wands’ not only made me nostalgic but
aroused my curiosity as well.”

“As a kid I loved watching my late Aunt Carmela make hundreds of
wands for holidays, weddings and christenings. (Carmela Mussari was
the mother of my cousin, Angelo Cercone, who was an active Festa
Italiana organizer until his passing in July 2007.)

“I have always wondered why ‘wands’ or ‘wants’ have been so
named, particularly since there’s no W in the Italian alphabet. I
began calling them ‘farfalette dolci’ (sweet bow ties) about 20
years ago when I found a recipe for them in a local newspaper.

“Today, I learned from the Bleedingespresso.com web site
that in some parts of Italy, they are called ‘Guanti,’ pronounced
wan-tee, the Italian word for gloves. The site noted that they are
often called ‘Lovers’ Knots’ in English but go by several other
names as well, including ‘Cenci’ (rags or tatters), ‘Nastri delle
suore’ (nuns ribbons), ‘Fritelle,’ ‘Crostoli,’ and ‘Frappe.’

“You might wish to pass this information on to your other
curious readers, especially those wonderful ladies who make those
delectable sweets. Now they’ll be able to spell Guanti correctly on
the recipes they pass down to their progeny.”

Some of these Italian dishes provide challenges to even the best
of spellers. We had always thought they were “wans,” and not
“wants” or “wands” – and certainly not “Guanti”!

MAGIC CARPET: A reader tells us her father remembered well that
tornado that struck Bradford in 1919. He and some neighborhood kids
on High Street watched as a lady literally flew out of her house on
her mattress – like she was riding a magic carpet – winding up at
the clay pits. The clay pits apparently were farther out High
Street and contained shaly material.

Rumors had abounded that this woman had kept money in her
mattress. Supposedly, as the father told the story, kids went
through her mattress after it landed but didn’t find any.

Oh, and if you were wondering, the woman – not surprisingly –
did not survive her “magic mattress” ride.