Old meets new close to downtown life in Scranton

   Scranton Pennsylvania will forever be known to its inhabitants as 'The Electric City.' In the city's heyday, it was a bustling community with much to offer.
   Sadly, that is not the case in the present day. With the economy in the area shaky, Scranton is no longer the great city it used to be. However, there are silver linings throughout the city and certain buildings that could help you step back in time while managing to keep with the modern times.
   While the economy may not be the best, the area is nothing short of beautiful. The mountains provide a beautiful backdrop to the communities that make up 'the valley,' as many will call it. One town in particular stands out as I'm writing. Jessup, Pennsylvania is home to a large Italian community and their sister city is Gubbio, Italy. Even though the town looks mostly like any other in NEPA, the culture and traditions that come out of it are not matched. Every May, the people of Jessup come together to celebrate the feast of Saint Ubaldo in the same fashion that the citizens of Gubbio do.

The festival begins in the morning with member's of the local high school's marching band riding through the streets, playing, in order to wake up the city. From there, there is a mass for all the runners. After the mass, the vases of the saints are broken outside the church, where people hurry to try and grab a piece of a vase to bring into their home. In the afternoon, there is a race between Saint Ubaldo, Saint George, and Saint Anthony, which takes place all over Jessup. The whole town, as well as members from surrounding towns come to watch the race. Every house in Jessup is decorated with the flags of the saints and the roads are even painted.

Church Street in Jessup. Photo credit Raceofthesaints.blogspot.com

The traditions that have been upheld in Jessup throughout the years only shows the dedication by the people who live there to keep their culture alive for future generations.