Blog | Italiano With Jodina

Favorite Artichoke Recipe: “Carciofi al cartoccio”

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Jodina

I recently held my first-ever official Italian cooking class.

While it’s true that I’ve been informally teaching friends and family Italian recipes, tips, and cooking techniques for years… this was my first organized class… and it was a huge success — lots of fun and laughter, and most importantly: good food!!

One of the stars of the class was the artichoke — featured in the recipe “Carciofi al cartoccio”, or Steam-Roasted Arthchokes. Just like in Italy, artichokes in California are plentiful this time of year.

Being that it’s my birthday week, and as a tip-of-the-hat to Italian traditions whereby on your birthday YOU treat others to something (dinner, drinks, etc) (opposite custom as in the States), I’m going to share my favorite artichoke recipe with you.

This tasty recipe will have you leccando i baffi (licking your plate, or literally “licking your whiskers”) and your friends asking for the recipe!

Info on upcoming Italian cooking classes

Jodina demonstrating the recipe in Italian cooking class

It’s easy; it’s foolproof, and here it is:

Steam-Roasted Artichokes / “Carciofi al cartoccio”

Note #1: In Italian cooking, the term al cartoccio refers to oven-cooking food tightly sealed, usually in aluminum foil, or sometimes oven paper. The unique effect of this method is that while the food is roasting, it is also steaming because all the moisture and juices are sealed in — a technique I have dubbed “steam-roasting”.

Note #2: Within an Italian menu, this recipe would find its place as a contorno, or side dish, served alongside a secondo piatto (second course) of meat, fish, or poultry.

Ingredients (per artichoke):

Carciofi or artichokes – 1
Limone or lemon – ½
Aglio or garlic – 1-3 cloves
Olio d’oliva or olive oil – about 1 ½-2 tblsp
Sale or salt – a pinch

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°

Grab artichoke by stem and cut off approx top 1 in, then cut off stem. If desired trim pokey bits of outer leaves.
Put artichoke in a bowl to catch all juices
To prevent browning, squeeze juice of ½ a lemon over the cut parts
Use hands to open out and separate the artichoke leaves a bit
Use knife to poke down thru the center of the choke to open it up a bit
Drizzle about 1 ½-2 tblsp olive oil into the cracks and crevices between leaves
In the middle (purple part) insert garlic clove(s)
Sprinkle over top a big healthy pinch of ground sea salt (or kosher salt)
Place in center of a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil and drizzle over the juices from the bowl and tightly wrap the artichoke. Repeat with a second piece of foil.
Be sure to wrap tightly to prevent the air escaping and to hold in the moisture.

Cook for approx 1 hr, 20 min

Foil-wrapped artichokes just out of the oven

When cool enough to handle, unwrap and eat. If desired, dip in melted butter.

(Optional: use roasted garlic cloves to make garlic butter.)

I’ll bet you’re on your way to the store right now for some fresh artichokes — Let me know how they turn out!

Buon appetito!

Leave comments on artichokes, Italian cooking, and anything else below!

Posted in Uncategorized | 14 Comments

.

Una poesia per Pasqua >> An Easter Poem

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Jodina

Uova di Pasqua: Italian Easter eggs.

Rather than receiving baskets filled with candy,

Italian children receive large, elaborately wrapped,

hollow chocolate eggs with a surprise gift(s) inside.

I found the following anonymous poesia (poem) on filastrocche.it, a website in Italian for Italian children and their parents — featuring jokes, activities, etc. related to holidays and other special days — a great study tool.

I used the poem in my Italian Conversation & Study group, and they enjoyed it so much that I decided to share it on my blog. The translation is mine. Enjoy.

Buona Pasqua!

Happy Easter!

Nei miei sogni ho immaginato

In my dreams I imagined

un grande uovo colorato.

a big colored egg.

Per chi era? Per la gente

Who was it for? For the people

dall’Oriente all’Occidene:

from the Orient to the Occident (West)

Pieno, pieno di sorprese

Full, full of surprises

destinate ad ogni paese.

meant for every country.

C’era dentro la saggezza

There was inside wisdom

e poi tanta tenerezza,

and then lots of tenderness,

l’altruismo, la bontà,

altruism, goodness,

gioia in grande quantità.

joy in great quantity.

Tanta pace, tanto amore

Much peace, much love

da riempire ogni cuore.

to fill every heart.

I wish everyone — however you celebrate this time of year —

Love, Health, and Abundance. Auguri!

Did you enjoy this poesia? How do you celebrate this time of year? I’d love to hear your comments below!

Posted in Italian Holidays, Italian Vocabulary, Vocaboli Italiai | Tagged Italian Culture, italian easter, Italian Language, italian phrases, italian vocabulary, italian words, Learn Italian, pasqua | Leave a comment

.

Charlie Sheen & Italian Verbs…

Winning >>Vincente!

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Jodina

Charlie Sheen prende in giro un programma di cucina (CS spoofs a cooking show)

L’altra sera in classe, uno studente ha cominciato di parlare di Charlie Sheen. (The other evening in class, a student started talking about Charlie Sheen.)

Oddio ho pensato, finora ero completamente riusciuta ad evitare i sordidi dettagli della star del momento nel mondo dei pettegolezzi. (Good grief I thought, until then I’d managed to completely avoid the sordid details of the star of the moment in the world of gossip.)

Va bene ho detto alla classe, ma se volete parlare di Charlie Sheen (Carletto Lucentezza in Italian!) perlomeno facciamolo in modo che vi aiuti ad imparare l’italiano. (Alright I said to the class, but if you want to talk about Charlie Sheen, at least lets do it in a way that helps you learn Italian.)

Ditemi qualche verbo che vi viene in mente quando pensate a lui. (Tell me some verbs that come to mind when you think of him.)

E così il più famoso mascalzone del giorno ha finalmente potuto servire ad uno scopo utile…(And in this way, the most famous ‘bad boy’ of the day finally got to serve a useful purpose…)

… La bizzarra storia di Carletto Lucentezza ha ispirato una bella lezione di coniugazione di verbi italiani nel presente indicativo. (… The bizzarre story of Charlie Sheen inspired a great lesson in conjugating Italian verbs in the present indicative tense.)

* V I N C E N T E ! *(WINNING!)

Eccone i verbi ispirati da Carletto Lucentezza

(Here are those verbs inspired by Charlie Sheen):

Here’s how to say them:

First conjugation/-are verbs:

recitare = to act (in the sense of TV or theater), e.g., “Charlie Sheen ha recitato in vari film e programmi televisivi.” (Charlie Sheen has acted in various films and TV shows.)
drogarsi = to use drugs, to drug oneself, e.g., “Lui parla apertamente di drogarsi.” (He speaks openly about using drugs.)
rovinare = to ruin, e.g., “Le sue azioni stanno rovinando la sua reputazione.” (His actions are ruining his reputation.)
tifare = to cheer on or root for. One student said, “Facevo il tifo per Charlie, ma ora è troppo sopra le righe.” (I used to root for him Charlie, but now he’s gone too far.)
approfittare = to take advantage or make the most of, e.g., Lui approfitta della situazione.” (He takes/is taking advantage of the situation.)
ignorare = to ignore, e.g., È quasi impossibile ignorare la bizzarra storia di Charlie Sheen.” (It’s almost impossible to ignore the bizarre story of Charlie Sheen.)

Second conjugation/-ere verbs

deludere = to delude or let down, e.g., “Charlie Sheen ha deluso i suoi fans.” (Charlie has let his fans down.)
offendere = to offend, e.g., “Le sue azione offendono molte persone.” (His actions offend many people.)
ricevere = to receive, e.g., Lui riceve 2 millioni di dollari per ogni episodio di Due uomini e mezzo.” (He receives $2 million for each episode of Two and a Half Men.)

Third conjugation/-ire verbs:

impazzire (impazzirsi) = to go mad, crazy, e.g., “Charlie Sheen si è impazzito.” (Charlie Sheen has gone crazy.)
dire = to say, e.g., “Dice delle cose che non hanno senso.” (He says things that don’t make sense.)
capire = to understand, e.g., “Il pubblico non capisce il suo strano comportamento.” (The public doesn’t understand his strange behavior.)

Due uomini e mezzo / Two and a Half Men, in Italian

What do you think of Charlie Sheen?

What verbs or vocabulary does he bring to mind for you?

Leave your comments below the sign-up/updates form!

Posted in Expressions, Italian Vocabulary, Uncategorized, Vocaboli Italiai | Tagged charlie sheen, italian audio, italian classes, Italian Language, italian vocabulary, italian words, Learn Italian, winning | 5 Comments

Anniversario Unità d’Italia >>

Italy turns 150!

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Jodina

Italy turned 150 today, which might surprise you. With so many ancient ruins and all the Renaissance and other historical works of art… you might wonder how the country could be so young.

And your surprise would be completely comprehensible. The land we now know as Italy was once home to the Roman empire and much later witness to the end of the dark ages and birthplace of the Renaissance or golden age of art and culture.

Italian hero General Giuseppe Garibaldi

But as an actual country, Italia has only been around for 150 years. It was in 1861 that General Garibaldi, under orders of the then Re (King) Vittorio Emanuale, king of strongest kingdom in Italy at the time (located in Piemonte and pertaining to the Savoy) led the Italian unification campaign il Risorgimento. Il Risorgimento (“The Resurgence”, a political and social movement to agglomerate different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy) successfully unified and liberated the peninsula from foreign domination (at that time from the Bourbons and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the last in a long line of foreign dominators). Thus Italia was born.

Garibaldi & his army of red shirts, or ‘camicie rosse’

At that time, there were vast regional differences in culture and language throughout the Italian peninsula, a land mass which is also very geographically diverse. Though Italian did exist as a language (that had started to develop and be crafted following Dante’s works), relatively few of the new Italians spoke their now national language with ease.

In large part, many regional differences (as well as antagonisms and rivalries) still exist today. And most Italians have a strong regional affinity and identification. It is not uncommon to find people who identify themselves first as Roman, Venetian, Tuscan, Pugliese, Siciliano, etc. and then as Italian. And many still speak the dialect of their region, province, or town.

Somewhere in the 1950s, as television became more widespread in Italy, so did a growing general knowledge and familiarity with the standard language. Today it would be very uncommon if not impossible to find someone who has gone through the public education system in Italy that does not speak Italian.

And though there may still be regional antogonisms, the anniversario dell’Unità d’Italia (anniversary of the unity of Italy) is a time to remember past struggles, celebrate the resulting freedoms, and to look forward to a future that both honors regional richness and a national unity and identity consisting of a patchwork of this rich regional tapestry, united perhaps by the love of art, culture, and cuisine that are so much an integral part of this beautiful and diverse country.

Any comments and observations are welcome — Leave them in the Reply section under the Updates/Sign-up form below.

Auguri Italia!

.

.

Posted in Italian Customs, Italian Holidays, Italian Vocabulary, Uncategorized, Vocaboli Italiai | Tagged 150 anniversary italy, garibaldi, Italian Culture, italian expressions, Italian Language, italian sayings, italian unification, italian vocabulary, italian words, jodina, Learn Italian, risorgimento italiano | 5 Comments

International Women’s Day>> Festa della Donna

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Jodina

Mimosa Flowers

March 8th is International Women’s Day. This day is observed widely in many countries around the world. Oddly, it is not observed in the United States. In fact, the first time I’d heard of it was shortly after I’d moved to Italy.

In italia la Festa della Donna si festeggia l’8 di marzo. (In Italy, Women’s day is celebrated on March 8th.)

Gli uomini regalano i fiori, solitamente le mimose, alle colleghe di lavoro e a tutte le altre donne importanti nelle loro vite… mamme, sorelle, fidanzate, ragazze, ecc. (Men give flowers, usually mimosas, to their female colleagues and to all the other important women in their lives… moms, sisters, fiances, girlfriends, etc.)

Mimosa Cocktails

Contrary to popular belief, the mimosa is not just a popular cocktail made from succo d’arancia (orange juice) and champagne, though I suspect this drink was inspired by the true mimosa. The mimosa is the fragrant and fluffy yellow pom-pom-like flower of the acacia tree.

California is full of these trees this time of year, as is Italy, which is why this flower is so common on this day. I love the smell of these flowers — their fragrance zooms me straight back to wonderful memories.

Here are a few Women’s Day auguri (greetings) for a mini vocabulary lesson:

Listen & Practice Your Pronunciation!

“Questa mimosa è bella come te che splendi e profumi nel giorno della tua festa.” (This mimosa is as beautiful as you that shine and are fragrant on your special day.)
“Auguri a tutte le donne del mondo ed in particolare alla mia che è la più bella che ci sia!” (Good wishes to all the women of the world and in particular to mine who is the most beautiful there is!)
“La donna è la colonna portante del mondo, senza te tutto crollerebbe e la nostra famiglia andrebbe in rovina… Grazie donna, grazie mamma.” (The woman is the main supporting column of the world, without you everything would collapse and our family would go into ruin… Thank you woman, thank you mom.)

Women’s Day is a celebration of all that is wonderful about women, and it is a day to pause and reflect on the accomplishments and importance of the role of women in our world. It is also a moment to consider improvements and changes needed to better the quality of life of women in general, and especially of women and girls whose rights and life conditions are extremely compromised or perilous.

Remember to give an extra hug or shout out to the women who matter in your life today. And remember also the women whose lives are not what they could be. We’ve come a long way baby, ma c’è ne ancora di strada da fare! (there’s still a ways to go!)

Have you heard of Women’s Day before? Do you celebrate it? Which mimosa do you prefer, the flower or the cocktail? 😉 Leave a comment beneath the sign up form below!

Posted in Italian Customs, Italian Holidays, Italian Vocabulary, Sayings, Uncategorized, Vocaboli Italiai | Tagged festa dellla donna, italian audio, italian classes, Italian Culture, italian expressions, Italian Language, italian sayings, italian vocabulary, italian words, jodina jovanotti, Learn Italian, march 8, mimosa, speak italian, women's day | 6 Comments

L’amore è nell’aria>>

Italian love phrases, proverbs & music

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Jodina

love is in the air -- heart-shaped hot air balloons in the sky

L'amore è nell'aria (Love is in the air)

In onore della stagione d’amore e il giorno di San Valentino (in honor of the season of love and Valentine’s Day), dedico questa puntata del blog ad alcuni proverbi, frasi e una canzone d’amore italiani (I dedicate this blog post to a few Italian love proverbs, phrases and a song).

To all my readers, romanticoni e non (‘big romantics’ and not), this Valentine is for you!

Con affetto,

Jodina

Proverbi & Citazioni (Proverbs & Quotes)

Listen & Practice Your Pronunciation

L’amore non conosce misura. (Love does not know measure. Similar to ‘love knows no limits.’)
Il cuore è una ricchezza che non si vende e non si compra, ma si regala. (The heart is a ‘wealth’/treasure that is not sold or bought, but that is given.)
Di tutte le arti maestro è l’amore. (Of all the arts, love is the master.)
Amare significa correre con il cuore verso l’oggetto amato. Giovanni Paolo I (Love means to run with your heart toward the object of love.)
L’amore è cieco, ma vede lontano. (Love is blind, but it sees far.)

“L‘amore è nell’aria” (Love is in the Air) by Zucchero

I Testi (The Lyrics)

Non va’ via
Questa mia
Azzurra poesia
Non va’ via
In un mondo che non c’e’
Resta mia
Dentro giorni misteriosi…….
Non va’ via
L’amore e’ nell’aria
Sta con me
L’estate x te
Non va via
E’ l’amore che torna
In mia e tua sola compagnia!
Sta con me
Questa mia
Decente melodia
Sta con me
Dentro cattedrali di luce
Non va via
L’amore e’ nell’aria
Sta con te
Sorella d’estate
Non va’ via
E’ l’amore che torna
X me, x te, a farci compagnia!
She’s coming
She’s coming
Yeah she’s coming
Se ti ascolti capirai…che
Non va via
L’amore e’ nell’aria
Sta con me
L’estate x te
Non va’ via
E’ l’amore che torna
Non va’ + via
L’amore e’ nell’aria
X me, x te, a farci compagnia
Sta con me
Non va’ via…non va’ via!.

And now, some Frasi d’amore italiane (Italian Love phrases) you can use to woo your valentine…

• Buon San Valentino (Happy Valentine’s Day)
• Ti amo. (I love you. Used only for romantic love.)
• Ti adoro. (I adore you.)
• Amore mio (My love, my beloved)
• Tesoro mio (My treasure)
• Ti voglio bene. (I love/care about you. Used for all types of relationships: family, friends, lovers.)
• I tuoi occhi brillano come le stelle. (Your eyes shine like stars.)
• Sei bella come una rosa. (You are as beautiful as a rose.)
• Per sempre (Forever)
• Per sempre tua/o (Forever yours)
• Sono pazza/o di te. (I’m crazy for you.)
• Anima mia (My soul)
• Sei incredibile. (You’re incredible.)
• Sei bellissima/o. (You’re beautiful.)
• Sei un dono. (You are a gift.)
• Sei stupenda/o. (You’re fantastic.)

Now that you know what to say, send an Italian card from Kisseo online Italian cards, but before you go, show me some love, and leave a comment below letting me know you liked this post.

Grazie, siete fantastici! Buon San Valentino!

Posted in Expressions, Italian Holidays, Italian Music, Italian Proverbs, Italian Vocabulary, Sayings, Uncategorized, Vocaboli Italiai | Tagged amore italiano, frasi italiani d'amore, italiah valentines day, italian audio, italian classes, Italian Culture, Italian Language, italian love, italian love phrases, italian music, italian phrases, italian proverbs, italian sayings, italian songs, italian vocabulary, italian words, jodina, l'amore e nell'aria, Learn Italian, san valentino, zucchero | 9 Comments

The Week in Words>> A Blast of Italian Vocabulary

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Jodina

Perhaps one of your new year’s resolutions is to migliorare (improve) in italiano. As a way to expand and improve your vocabulary of Italian words, I thought it might be useful and interesting to share some of the new Italian words that have come up in recent conversations with my students.

Do you have any secrets for committing new words to memory? Many of my students use flashcards that they make using index cards. This is an excellent method for increasing your vocabulary, especially because they’re easy to take anywhere and to review in those little ‘dead’ spaces of time (waiting in line, or for the bus, the microwave, the doctor, the kids, or the light to turn green, etc, etc, etc).

I read recently that researchers have found that it’s necessary to repeat a new word 160 times before it becomes lodged in your memory and part of your ‘repertoire’. Wow. 160 does sound like a lot of times. But, since many experts of psychology tell us that our inner dialog mostly consists of the same thoughts over and over (many of them supposedly not so positive), why not mix it up and repeat some new words over and over? It sure would be a more productive use of our tendency towards being mentally repetitive!

At the end of the blog, please let me know if you’ve found this useful. And, of course, please share any new Italian words that you’ve come across recently!

Listen & Practice Your Pronunciation:

Originariamente = (adverb) originally, initially. E.g., Originariamente il vestito di Babbo Natale era verde, non rosso come siamo abituati a vederlo. (Originally, Santa Claus’ suit was green, not red as we are used to seeing it.) Note: ‘Originalmente’ is not an Italian word.
Avere senso = (verb phrase) to make sense (lit. to ‘have sense’). E.g., Questa storia non ha senso. (This story doesn’t make sense.)
Avere ragione = (verb phrase) to be right (lit. to ‘have reason’). E.g., Elena ha ragione e Luigi ha torto. (Elena is right and Luigi is wrong.)
Avere torto = (verb phrase) to be wrong/ in the wrong/ mistaken; see example for #3.
Acciacco = (noun) infirmity, ailment, complaint, ache, pain. E.g., ‘gli acciacchi della vecchiaia’ (the infirmities of old age); ‘essere pieno di acciacchi’ (to be full of aches and pains.)
Nemmeno = (adverb) not even. E.g., Non l’ho nemmeno visto. (I didn’t even see him.) (Conjunction) not… either, neither, nor. E.g., Tu non lo vuoi? Nemmeno io.’ (You don’t want it? Neither/Nor do I. Or, I don’t either).
Ogni altra volta, Ogni altro giorno/ mese/ anno, ecc = (adverbial phrase) Every other time, every other day/ month/ year, etc. E.g., Il mio proposito quest’anno è di andare in palestra ogni altro giorno. (My intention/goal/resolution this year is to go to the gym every other day.)
Gioioso = (adjective) joyous. E.g., Vi auguro un gioioso anno nuovo. (I wish you a joyous new year).
Proposito = (noun) goal, aim, intention; see example for #7.
Propositi per l’anno nuovo = new year’s resolutions, E.g., Quali sono i vostri propositi per l’anno nuovo? (What are your new year’s resolutions?). If you’d like, please write about them below, in Italian or in English. The comments section is below the sign-up form.

Auguri a tutti per un fantastico 2011 pieno di propositi realizzati! (Best wishes to all for a fantastic 2011, full of accomplished resolutions!)

Posted in Italian Vocabulary, Uncategorized, Vocaboli Italiai | Tagged italian audio, italian expressions, Italian Language, italian new year's resolutions, italian sayings, italian verbs, italian vocabulary, italian words, jodina, propositi per l'anno nuovo, speak italian | 2 Comments

Italian Holidays>>

It’s not over ’til the old lady…

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Jodina

…flies in on a broom!

.

.

[Note: Any passages in Italian are followed by a translation in English.]

.

Yes, the lore of la Befana is one of my favorite parts of the Italian winter holiday traditions. So, while I’m en route flying back home (on a plane, not a broom) from the holidays, it seems like a great time to tell the tale of that beloved Italian ‘Epiphany witch.’ Befana is the folk character who rides in on a broom on the eve of January 6th, coinciding with l’Epifania, (Epiphany), the date when i re magi (the wisemen) are said to have arrived in Bethlehem.

She is usually depicted as a smiling old lady riding a broomstick through the air, bent over, with long, straggly hair and covered in soot because she enters children’s houses through the chimney. She fills Italian kiddies’ calze (stockings), delivering presents – mostly candies, chocolates, fruit and small trinkets to the bambini bravi (good kids) – and a lump of carbone (coal) or black-colored candy for bambini cattivi (naughty kids). (‘Simile al carbone finto che ho dato ai miei fratelli e nipote per scherzo insieme ai loro regali’… Similar to the fake coal I gave my brothers and nephew as a joke along with their gifts!)

Dunque (So then), this might be rather a brief blog post, or not, as I compose it and pay homage to la Befana between planes, layovers, and delays while I journey from the frozen heartland of Wisconsin to San Diego on the eve of the Epiphany. (Currently I’m getting a bit of extra electricity to my laptop as I wait in the airport for the snow-delayed aircraft to land in Milwaukee(!) Uffa! (Darn it!)

Befana & the 3 Kings
Allora (Well then), back to la Befana…legend has it that la Befana lived on the route the tre magi took when they set out to visit il Gesù Bambino (the Infant Jesus). They stopped at her house to ask her for directions to Bethlehem as well as for food and shelter.

However, la Befana wasn’t in a very sociable mood just then, and she sent them on their way. Later, she had a change of heart and decided she wouldn’t mind entertaining a few guests after all. But by then the guests were far beyond recall. Befana decided to go after them in any case and set off for Bethlehem. Like them, she followed la stella cometa (the guiding star), but unlike them she was unable to find the stable where the Christ Child lay.

Befana however wasn’t the sort to give up and is still flying around looking through windows and down chimney tops. She visits every house where there are children and leaves gifts just in case one of them happens to be the Christ Child. For the naughty children it is said she only leaves coal – but that is very rare, since there are very seldom any really naughty children, especially during Christmas time, when they know Befana is on her way.

Origins of la Befana
While the legend of la Befana is a charming one, it is definitely somewhat exotic, and seems to me like it could be a blending of different stories and traditions over the centuries as the winter holiday season in Italy morphed from the celebrations of the Roman Empire’s pagan practices to those of modern Christian times.

During Roman times, the winter holiday season lasted almost a month, starting with the festival of Saturnalia (winter solstice celebration), that kicked off on December 17, and going until the end of Lupercalia (end-of-winter festival), on January 15. This period was marked by wild revelry and lots of eating, drinking, and merrymaking (definitely some similarities to modern times), and also featured the honoring of various goddesses.

Perhaps la Befana is a holdover of the female figures celebrated as a part of the tapestry of this season in times past. Doing a bit of digging, I found that there is indeed evidence suggesting Befana’s connection to the ancient Roman goddess Strenia, who presided over the New Year’s gifts, delivering the same types of goodies that the current-day Befana does now.

Befana vs. Babbo Natale
Babbo Natale (Santa Claus or Father Christmas) is a relative newcomer on the holiday scene in Italy… I have heard that one early glimpse of Santa in Italy was by way of American servicemen in Italy during the WWII years, who would dress up as Santa Claus at Christmastime and give out presents to children. Prior to that point, la Befana was the main bringer of presents, and in this sense, Babbo Natale is somewhat of an interloper.

While many families still practice the tradition of la Befana and put out their calze before bed on the eve of Jan. 6, she is not as key a player in her role of ‘bringer of holiday goodies’ as she once was. In many parts of Italy she has been replaced or overshadowed by Santa. But since she has been around delivering the holiday loot for more than 2000 years, chances are she’ll be an important figure for many more to come.

Befana la Befania….
One more role that la Befana plays is to officially usher out the holiday season in Italy. Diversely from the United States, where the holiday season ends after New Year’s day, in Italy it continues through January 6th. Therefore, the Epiphany, or la Befana as it is colloquially referred to, marks the end of the Italian winter holidays. In fact there’s a rhyme to that extent: “Befana e Befania, tutte le feste se le porta via,” meaning that la Befana (the present-delivering witch) and Befania (another name for Epiphany, derived from Latin and Greek) take or carry all the holidays away with them when they leave. Or, like I said at the beginning of this post, it’s not over ‘til the old lady flies in on a broom!

Any thoughts or comments on the Befana? I’d love to hear ‘em! Please leave comments below (beneath the sign-up form).

consider using powerpoint joke from don nealon about the ‘regine magie’

Posted in Italian Customs, Italian Holidays, Sayings, Uncategorized, Vocaboli Italiai | Tagged befana, calze, carbone, coal, epifania, epiphany celebration, epiphany in italy, filastrocche sulla befana, Italian Culture, italian expressions, Italian Language, italian phrases, italian sayings, italian vocabulary, italian words, jodina, perchè la befana si festeggia, quando si festeggia la befana, re magi, speak italian, stella cometa, stockings | 4 Comments

Italian Vocabulary:

>> Favorite Italian Christmas Words & Practices

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Jodina

Some of my favorite things about the Italian Christmas holiday season are — not surprisingly — edible. Starting with le castagne, il panettone, and le lenticchie, following is a list of a few of my favorite Italian Christmas holiday things followed by explanations, some local lore, and info on current practices.

.

Read & Practice Your Pronunciation

.

Le castagne, le caldarroste = Chestnuts, roasted chestnuts (also called ‘castagne arrostite’).
Il panettone = Typical Christmas cake from Milan.
Le lenticchie = Lentils.
Il cenone = Big dinner, from the word cena (dinner) plus the suffix -one, indicating ‘large’.
Il Vischio = mistletoe.
L’albero di natale = Christmas tree.
Gli addobbi = Decorations.
Le luci = Lights.
Le palline = Ornaments (literally, little balls).
Babbo Natale = Santa Claus or Father Christmas; babbo = dad or daddy, Natale = Christmas.
I regali = Presents.
Gesù Bambino = Baby Jesus.
Il Presepe, il presepio = Manger, nativity scene.
La vigilia di Natale = Christmas Eve.
Chiesa = Church.
Santa messa = Holy mass.
Buon Natale! = The greeting/wish equivalent to Merry Christmas!
Buone Feste! = The greeting/wish equivalent to Happy Holidays!
Auguri di stagione! = The greeting/wish equivalent to Seasons Greetings!
Capo d’Anno = New Year’s Eve, literally the ‘head of the year’.
Prospero e felice anno nuovo! = A prosperous and Happy New Year!
L’Epifania = Epiphany, Jan 6^th.
I Tre magi = The three wise men.
La Befana = Gift-bringing witch (on Epiphany).
La Calza = Stocking.

.

Le castagne. In Italy chestnuts are a symbol of winter. They are used in breads and cakes and roasted and eaten plain. There’s nothing better than buying castange arrostite (roasted chestnuts) from a street vendor in a paper cone and eating them while strolling through the centro storico (downtown) of Milano, or any Italian city (more on the holiday period in Milano here).

.

Il panettone. Large golden-colored dome-shaped Christmas cake made from flour, butter, eggs and sugar, with candied citron and sultanas (small seedless raisins). Light and fluffy, NOT heavy like a fruit cake; panettone originated in Milano and is now eaten all over Italy. No Christmas table in Italy is complete without it. I love the smell of this special cake. Luckily it is widely available in specialty food shops in the U.S., including Trader Joes and Cost Plus World Markets.

.

Le lenticchie, Capo d’anno. Lentils are little round flat legumes, often used in soup or stew. Popular Italian tradition has it that since the lentil shape resembles a coin, eating it on New Year’s Eve or Day guarantees good health and prosperity all year long. It is common in Italy to eat dishes containing lenticchie on Capo d’anno (New Year’s Eve). Sometime between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, I promise I’ll post my recipe for Italian Lentil Stew 🙂

.

Il Vischio. During the Holiday Season it is an old tradition to give vischio, or mistletoe, especially on the last day of the year. It is often dipped in gold or silver paint, and it is given as a symbol of good wishes, or ‘auguri’. One of my friends in Milan reported that, “a large bank in the downtown has hung a huge ‘vischio’ outside the bank and they invite whoever wants to stand under it, and have their picture taken while kissing under the mistletoe.” Now that’s a fun publicity stunt!

.

Il cenone. In Italy, celebrating Christmas in family is very important and consists most importantly of eating, eating, and eating! As one friend said, the eating/celebrating starts the 24^th and continues on thru the 26^th/27^th, only to start up again on Capo d’Anno (New Year’s Eve). The most common day of the big family dinner depends on location: in Rome and further south it’s a huge dinner on the evening of Christmas Eve, based on fish, especially eel. In northern Italy, families tend to celebrate on Christmas day with a midday dinner based on some type of roast meat. While many claim that southerners are bigger ‘mangioni’ than northerners, it seems to me like both do some pretty serious face-stuffing (abbuffare)!

.

L’albero di natale, gli Addobbi, le luci, e le palline, il presepe. As a rule, people in Italy do not go overboard decorating their homes for the holidays. Many will have a nativity scene, and perhaps a Christmas tree, but it will usually be small-ish, possibly a live tree still in the pot, and not super-loaded with ornaments. And some of the tree decorations might consist of chocolates, candies, and small fruits (that after the holidays, the kids get to eat!). In the downtown areas of cities and towns there will be lights and other decorations along the street. Larger cities will be especially lit up, and some have begun using LED lights because they are energy-saving and less polluting.

.

Babbo Natale, i regali, Gesù Bambino, e la Vigilia di Natale. In most households it is Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) who brings the regali (presents) and leaves them under the albero di natale (Christmas tree). In some more religious families it is Gesù Bambino who brings the regali and leaves them near the presepe (manger), though this version is diminishing, especially as kids become ever more clever! In both cases, the presents are delivered the on night of la Vigila di Natale (Christmas Eve) and the bambini run to check for the regali on the morning of Natale.

.

Chiesa, Santa messa. In smaller towns and the in the south, more people go to chiesa (church) for the santa messa di Natale (holy Chrismas mass) than in bigger cities. Though like in the US, those who don’t go to church every Sunday will often go on the occasion of Christmas. The most popular service is midnight mass on Christmas Eve, but many also go Christmas morning.

.

I Tre magi, l’Epifania, la Befana, and le calze. The Italian holiday season lasts until l’Epifania (Epiphany) on Jan 6^th, when the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem. This is also when la Befana makes her entrance. Befana is a beloved, gift-bearing witch who arrives the night before the 6^th on a broom filling le calze (stockings) of bambini bravi (good kids) with gifts (mostly candy and fruit) or, for i bambini cattivi, (naughty kids) coal! The Befana truly is a legend and merits a whole blog post to herself. Stay tuned!

.

Mando a tutti i migliori auguri di buone feste con le vostre famiglie e gli amici!

(I send everyone best wishes for happy holidays with your family and frends!)

… And if have any questions or favorite Italian Christmas holiday things please share them in the comments section below! (Under the sign-up form) I love to hear from you! 🙂

.

Posted in Italian Customs, Italian Food, Uncategorized, Vocaboli Italiai | Tagged italian christmas, italian classes, Italian Culture, Italian Language, italian phrases, italian sayings, italian vocabulary, italian words, jodina, learn italiano, natale italiano, study italian san diego | Leave a comment

Italian Traditions>>

Buon Sant’Ambrogio & O’Bej O’Bej!

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Jodina

[Note: Any passages in Italian are subsequently translated into English.]

Il 7 dicembre a Milano viene osservato e festeggiato come il giorno di Sant’Ambrogio, il patrono della città. (The 7th of December in Milan is observed and celebrated as Saint Ambrose Day, the patron saint of the city.)

Hmmm… sounds pretty special, you might be thinking, and in many ways it is. On this occasion, the devout attend special services at la Chiesa di Sant’Ambrogio, the Milanese church dedicated to this saint. For the vast majority though, the most special thing about Saint Ambrose is that it falls the day before la Concezione Immacolata (the Immaculate Conception), the national Italian religious holiday celebrated December 8 – meaning two days off in a row, PLUS the addition of a ‘ponte’ (literally, a bridge) between December 7-8 and the weekend closest to these two days, creating a 4-5-day long weekend, depending which day of the week they fall on. (Just think, if you were living in Milano, right now you’d be just winding down from a mini vacation!)

This is a picture of the statue of La Madonnina (literally ‘the little Madonna’, or the Virgin Mary, that graces the rooftop of Milan’s majestic Duomo cathedral in the historic city center. La Madonnina (Madunina, in Milanese dialect) is also the nickname in Milano for Immaculate Conception Day. When referring to these days people often say Sant’Ambrogio e la Madoninna.

So while in namesake the celebration of Sant’Ambrogio (Saint’Ambrös, in Milanese dialect) sounds quite saintly, it plays out as a perfect kickoff to all aspects of the Milanese holiday season–both religious and worldly. E allora come passano i milanesi questi giorni liberi intorno alla festa di Sant’Ambrogio? (So then, how do the Milanese spend these days off for the Sant’Ambrogio holiday?) What most do NOT do is work. (The 7^th and 8^th are ‘giorni festivi’, or official holidays).

The two most popular activities are getting away for a skiing weekend — una gita bianca (a ‘white’/ski trip) — with one of the most popular destinations being the village of Madonna di Campiglio nelle Alpi italiane (in the Italian Alps), and shopping.

Those who stay in citta` (in town) use this time to fare shopping. (This is a very common phrase in Italian, and differs from fare la spesa, which means to do food/staples shopping – fare shopping is more like when you go from shop to shop, boutique to boutique, looking for treasures, and at this time of year, Christmas gifts, or regali natilizi).

A very poplar shopping mecca this time of year is the famous outdoor market called ‘la Fiera degli O’bej O’bej’ (O’bej O’bej is a dialectical phrase roughly translating to ‘O Belli, O Belli’, which is what people exclaim when they see all the beautiful things for sale.) The Fiera degli O’bej O’bej (pronounced /o-bay o-bay/) dates back to 1300, lasts 3 days, and is held on the grounds of the Castello Sforzesco (Milan’s historic Castle).

La fiera degli “Oh Bej Oh Bej” è costituita da centinaia di bancarelle coloriti che vendono profumi, cianfrusaglie, addobbi per l’albero di Natale ed il presepe, oggetti di antiquariato e qualsiasi altra cosa immaginabile a prezzi modici. (The O’Bej O’Bej market is made up of hundreds of colorful stalls selling perfumes, bric-a-brac, decorations for the Christmas tree and nativity scene, antiques, and anything else imaginable at modest prices.)

This early part of December in Milan is also when the new Opera season kicks off at the famous Teatro alla Scala opera house. This year the season begins December 7 with Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre.

And even though it is a big and busy city, Milano still puts on a little sparkle for the holidays. And as in many other places where Christmas is celebrated, much time preceding December 25^th is dedicated to the hustle and bustle of trolling the shops for treasures, meeting friends and exchanging gifts, and strolling the streets enjoying the holiday decorations, lights, and the feeling of excitement in the crisp winter air.

.

One of my favorite things and memories about this time of year in Milano is the smell of chestnuts being roasted by street vendors, buying them in the paper cones they are sold in, and eating them while strolling through the city center. Ahhh… felicità. (happiness)

What do you enjoy about this season? Love to hear your comments below! (Comment below the sign-up form.)

.

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Auguri Italia! . .

Listen & Practice Your Pronunciation:

…flies in on a broom!

. . [Note: Any passages in Italian are followed by a translation in English.] .

.

Read & Practice Your Pronunciation

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Mando a tutti i migliori auguri di buone feste con le vostre famiglie e gli amici!

.

Il 7 dicembre a Milano viene osservato e festeggiato come il giorno di Sant’Ambrogio, il patrono della città. (The 7th of December in Milan is observed and celebrated as Saint Ambrose Day, the patron saint of the city.)

The two most popular activities are getting away for a skiing weekend — una gita bianca (a ‘white’/ski trip) — with one of the most popular destinations being the village of Madonna di Campiglio nelle Alpi italiane (in the Italian Alps), and shopping.

This early part of December in Milan is also when the new Opera season kicks off at the famous Teatro alla Scala opera house. This year the season begins December 7 with Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre.

.

One of my favorite things and memories about this time of year in Milano is the smell of chestnuts being roasted by street vendors, buying them in the paper cones they are sold in, and eating them while strolling through the city center. Ahhh… felicità. (happiness)

What do you enjoy about this season? Love to hear your comments below! (Comment below the sign-up form.)

.

Help IWJ create more great free content!

Recent Blog Posts

Admin

Previous Blog Posts

Auguri Italia!

.

.

.

.

[Note: Any passages in Italian are followed by a translation in English.]

.