Italian children receive large, elaborately wrapped,
hollow chocolate eggs with a surprise gift(s) inside.
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I found the following anonymous poesia (poem) on filastrocche.it, a website in Italian for Italian children and their parents ā featuring jokes, activities, etc. related to holidays and other special days ā a great study tool.
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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.
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Buona Pasqua!
Happy Easter!
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Nei miei sogni ho immaginato
In my dreams I imagined
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un grande uovo colorato.
a big colored egg.
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Per chi era? Per la gente
Who was it for? For the people
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dallāOriente allāOccidene:
from the Orient to the Occident (West)
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Pieno, pieno di sorprese
Full, full of surprises
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destinate ad ogni paese.
meant for every country.
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Cāera dentro la saggezza
There was inside wisdom
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e poi tanta tenerezza,
and then lots of tenderness,
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lāaltruismo, la bontĆ ,
altruism, goodness,
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gioia in grande quantitĆ .
joy in great quantity.
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Tanta pace, tanto amore
Much peace, much love
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da riempire ogni cuore.
to fill every heart.
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Ā
I wish everyone ā however you celebrate this time of year ā
Love, Health, and Abundance.Ā Auguri!
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Did you enjoy this poesia? How do you celebrate this time of year? Iād love to hear your comments below!
Charlie Sheen prende in giro un programma di cucina (CS spoofs a cooking show)
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Lāaltra sera in classe, uno studente ha cominciato di parlare di Charlie Sheen. (The other evening in class, a student started talking about Charlie Sheen.)
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Oddio ho pensato, finoraĀ ero completamente riusciuta ad evitare i sordidi dettagli della star del momento nel mondo dei pettegolezzi. (Good grief I thought, until then Iād managed to completely avoid the sordid details ofĀ the star of the moment in the world of gossip.)
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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 lāitaliano. (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.)
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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.)
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E cosƬ il piĆ¹ famoso mascalzone del giorno ha finalmente potuto servire ad uno scopo utileā¦(And in this way, the most famous ābad boyā of the day finally got to serve a useful purposeā¦)Ā
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ā¦ La bizzarra storia di Carletto Lucentezza ha ispirato una bella lezione di coniugazione di verbi italiani nel presente indicativo. (ā¦ The bizzarre story of Charlie Sheen inspired a great lesson in conjugating Italian verbs in the present indicative tense.)
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* V I N C E N T E ! *(WINNING!)
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Eccone i verbi ispirati da Carletto Lucentezza
(Here are those verbs inspired by Charlie Sheen):
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Hereās how to say them:
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First conjugation/-are verbs:
recitare = to act (in the sense of TV or theater), e.g., āCharlie Sheen ha recitato in vari film e programmi televisivi.ā (Charlie Sheen has acted in various films and TV shows.)
drogarsi = to use drugs, to drug oneself, e.g., āLui parla apertamente di drogarsi.ā (He speaks openly about using drugs.)
rovinare = to ruin, e.g., āLe sue azioni stanno rovinando la sua reputazione.ā (His actions are ruining his reputation.)
tifare = to cheer on or root for. One student said, āFacevo il tifo per Charlie, ma ora ĆØ troppo sopra le righe.ā (I used to root for him Charlie, but now heās gone too far.)
approfittare = to take advantage or make the most of, e.g., Lui approfitta della situazione.ā (He takes/is taking advantage of the situation.)
ignorare = to ignore, e.g., Ć quasi impossibile ignorare la bizzarra storia di Charlie Sheen.ā (Itās almost impossible to ignore the bizarre story of Charlie Sheen.)
Second conjugation/-ere verbs
deludere = to delude or let down, e.g., āCharlie Sheen ha deluso i suoi fans.ā (Charlie has let his fans down.)
offendere = to offend, e.g., āLe sue azione offendono molte persone.ā (His actions offend many people.)
ricevere = to receive, e.g., Lui riceve 2 millioni di dollari per ogni episodio di Due uomini e mezzo.ā (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., āCharlie Sheen si ĆØ impazzito.ā (Charlie Sheen has gone crazy.)
dire = to say, e.g., āDice delle cose che non hanno senso.ā (He says things that donāt make sense.)
capire = to understand, e.g.,Ā āIl pubblico non capisce il suo strano comportamento.ā (The public doesnāt understand his strange behavior.)
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Due uomini e mezzo / Two and a Half Men, in Italian
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What do you think of Charlie Sheen?
What verbs or vocabulary does he bring to mind for you?
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Leave your comments below the sign-up/updates form!
Italy turned 150 today, which might surprise you. With so many ancient ruins and all the Renaissance and other historical works of artā¦ you might wonder how the country could be so young.
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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.
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Italian hero General Giuseppe Garibaldi
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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 theĀ Savoy) led the Italian unification campaign il Risorgimento. Il Risorgimento (āThe Resurgenceā, a political and social movement to agglomerate different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy)Ā 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.
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Garibaldi & his army of red shirts, or ācamicie rosseā
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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 Danteās works), relatively few of the new Italians spoke their now national language with ease.
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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.
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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.
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And though there may still be regional antogonisms, the anniversario dellāUnitĆ dāItalia (anniversary of theĀ 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 thisĀ beautifulĀ and diverse country.
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Any comments and observations are welcome ā Leave them in the Reply section under the Updates/Sign-up form below.
March 8th is International Womenās 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 Iād heard of it was shortly after Iād moved to Italy.
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In italia la Festa della Donna si festeggia lā8 di marzo.Ā (In Italy, Womenās 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 viteā¦ mamme, sorelle, fidanzate, ragazze, ecc. (Men give flowers, usually mimosas, to their female colleagues and to all the other important women in their livesā¦ moms, sisters, fiances, girlfriends, etc.)
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Mimosa Cocktails
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Contrary to popular belief, the mimosa is not just a popular cocktail made from succo dāarancia (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.Ā I love the smell of these flowers ā their fragrance zooms me straight back to wonderful memories.
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Here are a few Womenās Day auguri (greetings) for a mini vocabulary lesson:
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Listen & Practice Your Pronunciation!
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āQuesta mimosa ĆØ bella come te che splendi e profumi nel giorno della tua festa.ā (This mimosa is as beautiful as you that shine and are fragrant on your special day.)
āAuguri a tutte le donne del mondo ed in particolare alla mia che ĆØ la piĆ¹ bella che ci sia!ā (Good wishes to all the women of the world and in particular to mine who is the most beautiful there is!)
āLa donna ĆØ la colonna portante del mondo, senza te tutto crollerebbe e la nostra famiglia andrebbe in rovinaā¦ Grazie donna, grazie mamma.ā (The woman is the main supporting column of the world, without you everything would collapse and our family would go into ruinā¦ Thank you woman, thank you mom.)
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Womenās 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.
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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. Weāve come a long way baby, ma cāĆØ ne ancora di strada da fare! (thereās still a ways to go!)
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Have you heard of Womenās Day before? Do you celebrate it? Which mimosa do you prefer, the flower or the cocktail? š Leave a comment beneath the sign up form below!
In onore della stagione dāamore e il giorno di San Valentino (in honor of the season of love and Valentineās Day), dedico questa puntata del blog ad alcuni proverbi, frasi e una canzone dāamore italiani (I dedicate this blog post to a few Italian love proverbs, phrases and a song).
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To all my readers, romanticonie non (ābig romanticsā and not), this Valentine is for you!
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Con affetto,
Jodina
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Proverbi & Citazioni (Proverbs & Quotes)
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Listen & Practice Your Pronunciation
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Lāamore non conosce misura. (Love does not know measure. Similar to ālove knows no limits.ā)
Il cuore ĆØ una ricchezza che non si vende e non si compra, ma siregala. (The heart is a āwealthā/treasure that is not sold or bought, but that is given.)
Di tutte le arti maestro ĆØ lāamore. (Of all the arts, love is the master.)
Amare significa correre con il cuore verso lāoggetto amato.Giovanni Paolo I (Love means to run with your heart toward the object of love.)
Lāamore ĆØ cieco, ma vede lontano. (Love is blind, but it sees far.)
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āLāamore ĆØ nellāariaā (Love is in the Air) by Zucchero
I Testi (The Lyrics)
Non vaā via
Questa mia
Azzurra poesia
Non vaā via
In un mondo che non cāeā
Resta mia
Dentro giorni misteriosiā¦ā¦.
Non vaā via
Lāamore eā nellāaria
Sta con me
Lāestate x te
Non va via
Eā lāamore 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
Lāamore eā nellāaria
Sta con te
Sorella dāestate
Non vaā via
Eā lāamore che torna
X me, x te, a farci compagnia!
Sheās coming
Sheās coming
Yeah sheās coming
Se ti ascolti capiraiā¦che
Non va via
Lāamore eā nellāaria
Sta con me
Lāestate x te
Non vaā via
Eā lāamore che torna
Non vaā + via
Lāamore eā nellāaria
X me, x te, a farci compagnia
Sta con me
Non vaā viaā¦non vaā via!.
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And now, some Frasi dāamore italiane (Italian Love phrases) you can use to woo your valentineā¦
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ā¢ Buon San Valentino (Happy Valentineās Day)
ā¢ Ti amo. (I love you. Used only for romantic love.)
ā¢ Ti adoro. (I adore you.)
ā¢ Amore mio (My love, my beloved)
ā¢ Tesoro mio (My treasure)
ā¢ Ti voglio bene. (I love/care about you. Used for all types of relationships: family, friends, lovers.)
ā¢ I tuoi occhi brillano come le stelle. (Your eyes shine like stars.)
ā¢ Sei bella come una rosa. (You are as beautiful as a rose.)
ā¢ Per sempre (Forever)
ā¢ Per sempre tua/o (Forever yours)
ā¢ Sono pazza/o di te. (Iām crazy for you.)
ā¢ Anima mia (My soul)
ā¢ Sei incredibile. (Youāre incredible.)
ā¢ Sei bellissima/o. (Youāre beautiful.)
ā¢ Sei un dono. (You are a gift.)
ā¢ Sei stupenda/o. (Youāre fantastic.)
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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.
Perhaps one of your new yearās 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.
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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 theyāre easy to take anywhere and to review in those little ādeadā 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).
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I read recently that researchers have found that itās necessary to repeat a new word 160 times before it becomes lodged in your memory and part of your ārepertoireā.Ā Wow.Ā 160 does sound like a lot of times.Ā 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? Ā It sure would be a more productive use of our tendency towards being mentally repetitive!
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At the end of the blog, please let me know if youāve found this useful. And, of course, please share any new Italian words that youāve come across recently!
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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 Clausā suit was green, not red as we are used to seeing it.)Ā Note: āOriginalmenteā is not an Italian word.
Avere senso = (verb phrase) to make sense (lit. to āhave senseā). E.g., Questa storia non ha senso. (This story doesnāt make sense.)
Avere ragione = (verb phrase) to be right (lit. to āhave reasonā). 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., āgli acciacchi della vecchiaiaā (the infirmities of old age); āessere pieno di acciacchiā (to be full of aches and pains.)
Nemmeno = (adverb) not even. E.g., Non lāho nemmeno visto. (I didnāt even see him.) (Conjunction) notā¦ either, neither, nor. E.g., Tu non lo vuoi? Nemmeno io.ā (You donāt want it? Neither/Nor do I. Or, I donāt 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 questāanno ĆØ 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 lāanno nuovo = new yearās resolutions, E.g., Quali sono i vostri propositi per lāanno nuovo? (What are your new yearās resolutions?). If youād like, please write about them below, in Italian or in English.Ā The comments section is below the sign-up form.
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Auguri a tutti per un fantastico 2011 pieno di propositi realizzati! (Best wishes to all for a fantastic 2011, full of accomplished resolutions!)
[Note: Any passages in Italian are followed by a translation in English.]
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Yes, the lore of la Befana is one of my favorite parts of the Italian winter holiday traditions. So, while Iām 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 āEpiphany witch.āĀ Befana is the folk character who rides in on a broom on the eve of January 6th, coinciding with lāEpifania, (Epiphany), the date when i re magi (the wisemen) are said to have arrived in Bethlehem.
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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 childrenās houses through the chimney. She fills Italian kiddiesā calze (stockings), delivering presents ā mostly candies, chocolates, fruit and small trinkets to the bambini bravi (good kids) ā and a lump of carbone (coal) or black-colored candy for bambini cattivi (naughty kids). (āSimile al carbone finto che ho dato ai miei fratelli e nipote per scherzo insieme ai loro regaliāā¦ Similar to the fake coal I gave my brothers and nephew as a joke along with their gifts!)
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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 Iām 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!)
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Befana & the 3 Kings
Allora (Well then), back to la Befanaā¦legend has it that la Befana lived on the route the tre magi took when they set out to visit il GesĆ¹ Bambino (the Infant Jesus). They stopped at her house to ask her for directions to Bethlehem as well as for food and shelter.
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However, la Befana wasnāt in a very sociable mood just then, and she sent them on their way. Later, she had a change of heart and decided she wouldnāt 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.
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Befana however wasnāt 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 ā 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.
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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 Empireās pagan practices to those of modern Christian times.
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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.
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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 Befanaās connection to the ancient Roman goddess Strenia, who presided over the New Yearās gifts, delivering the same types of goodies that the current-day Befana does now.
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Befana vs. Babbo Natale
Babbo Natale (Santa Claus or Father Christmas) is a relative newcomer on the holiday scene in Italyā¦ 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.
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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 ābringer of holiday goodiesā 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 sheāll be an important figure for many more to come.
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Befana la Befaniaā¦.
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 Yearās 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 thereās a rhyme to that extent: āBefana e Befania, tutte le feste se le porta via,ā 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, itās not over ātil the old lady flies in on a broom!
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Any thoughts or comments on the Befana? Iād love to hear āem! Please leave comments below (beneath the sign-up form).
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consider using powerpoint joke from don nealon about the āregine magieā
Some of my favorite things about the Italian Christmas holiday season are ā not surprisingly ā 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.
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Read & Practice Your Pronunciation
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Le castagne, le caldarroste = Chestnuts, roasted chestnuts (also called ācastagne arrostiteā).
Il panettone = Typical Christmas cake from Milan.
Le lenticchie = Lentils.
Il cenone = Big dinner, from the word cena (dinner) plus the suffix -one, indicating ālargeā.
Il Vischio = mistletoe.
Lāalbero 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.
GesĆ¹ 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! Ā
Auguri di stagione! = The greeting/wish equivalent to Seasons Greetings!
Capo dāAnno = New Yearās Eve, literally the āhead of the yearā.
Prospero e felice anno nuovo! = A prosperous and Happy New Year!
LāEpifania = Epiphany, Jan 6th.
ITre magi = The three wise men.
La Befana = Gift-bringing witch (on Epiphany).
La Calza = Stocking.
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Le castagne. In Italy chestnuts are a symbol of winter. They are used in breads and cakes and roasted and eaten plain. Thereās 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).
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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.
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Le lenticchie, Capo dāanno. 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 Yearās Eve or Day guarantees good health and prosperity all year long. It is common in Italy to eat dishes containing lenticchie on Capo dāanno (New Yearās Eve). Sometime between Christmas and New Yearās Eve, I promise Iāll post my recipe for Italian Lentil Stew š
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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 āauguriā. One of my friends in Milan reported that, āa large bank in the downtown has hung a huge āvischioā outside the bank and they invite whoever wants to stand under it, and have their picture taken while kissing under the mistletoe.ā Now thatās a fun publicity stunt!
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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 24th and continues on thru the 26th/27th, only to start up again on Capo dāAnno (New Yearās Eve). The most common day of the big family dinner depends on location: in Rome and further south itās 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 āmangioniā than northerners, it seems to me like both do some pretty serious face-stuffing (abbuffare)!
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Lāalbero 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.
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Babbo Natale, i regali, GesĆ¹ Bambino, e la Vigilia di Natale. Ā 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 GesĆ¹ 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.
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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 donāt 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.
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I Tre magi, lāEpifania, la Befana, and le calze. The Italian holiday season lasts until lāEpifania (Epiphany) on Jan 6th, 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 6th 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!
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Mando a tutti i migliori auguri di buone feste con le vostre famiglie e gli amici!
(IĀ send everyone best wishes for happy holidays with your family and frends!)
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ā¦ And if have any questions or favorite Italian Christmas holiday things please share them Ā in the comments section below! (Under the sign-up form) I love to hear from you! š
[Note: Any passages in Italian are subsequently translated into English.]
Il 7 dicembre a Milano viene osservato e festeggiato come il giorno di SantāAmbrogio, il patrono della cittĆ . (The 7th of December in Milan is observed and celebrated as Saint Ambrose Day, the patron saint of the city.)
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Hmmmā¦ 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 SantāAmbrogio, 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 ā meaning two days off in a row, PLUS the addition of a āponteā (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 youād be just winding down from a mini vacation!)
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This is a picture of the statue of La Madonnina (literally āthe little Madonnaā, or the Virgin Mary, that graces the rooftop of Milanās 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 SantāAmbrogio e la Madoninna.
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So while in namesake the celebration of SantāAmbrogio (SaintāAmbrƶs, in Milanese dialect) sounds quite saintly, it plays out as a perfect kickoff to all aspects of the Milanese holiday seasonāboth religious and worldly. E allora come passano i milanesi questi giorni liberi intorno alla festa di SantāAmbrogio? (So then, how do the Milanese spend these days off for the SantāAmbrogio holiday?)Ā What most do NOT do is work.Ā (The 7th and 8th are āgiorni festiviā, or official holidays).
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The two most popular activities are getting away for a skiing weekend ā una gita bianca (a āwhiteā/ski trip) ā with one of the most popular destinations being the village of Madonna di Campiglio nelle Alpi italiane (in the Italian Alps), and shopping.
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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 ā 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).
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A very poplar shopping mecca this time of year is the famous outdoor market called āla Fiera degli Oābej Oābejā (Oābej Oābej is a dialectical phrase roughly translating to āO Belli, O Belliā, which is what people exclaim when they see all the beautiful things for sale.) The Fiera degli Oābej Oābej (pronounced /o-bay o-bay/) dates back to 1300, lasts 3 days, and is held on the grounds of the Castello Sforzesco (Milanās historic Castle).
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Lafiera degli āOh Bej Oh Bejā ĆØ costituita da centinaia di bancarelle coloriti che vendono profumi, cianfrusaglie, addobbi per lāalbero di Natale ed il presepe, oggetti di antiquariato e qualsiasi altra cosa immaginabile a prezzi modici. (The OāBej OāBej 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.)
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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 Wagnerās Die WalkĆ¼re.
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And even though it is a big and busy city, Milano still puts on a little sparkle for the holidays. Ā And as in many other places where Christmas is celebrated, much time preceding December 25th 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.
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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. Ahhhā¦ felicitĆ . (happiness)
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What do you enjoy about this season?Ā Love to hear your comments below! (Comment below the sign-up form.)
Nearly everyone can sing along to the chorus of the Italian song āVolare.ā Itās a happy tune whose popularity has spanned generations. Recorded by Domenico Modugno in 1958, the song became the first winner of the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Grammy Award for Song of the Year, and it is the only foreign-language recording to achieve this honor
Did you know that in Italian āVolareā (the songās popular name) means āto flyā?Ā You might also know that this well-known, well-loved Italian song often goes by the name āNel blu dipinto di bluā (its official title). Ā And you might have an idea that this means āin the blue painted blueāā¦ but, you may wonder,Ā justĀ āche cavolo?ā (literallyĀ āwhat the cabbageā or what the heck?) does THAT mean?
Well, Volare essentially is a song that recounts a manās dreamā¦ in which he is floating (or flying) high above the Earth, in the blue sky, with his hands and face painted blue (ānel blu dipinto di bluā = in the blue, painted blue).Ā Itās kind of fantastical and whimsical, as many dreams are. Ā The song then tells of how when the moon goes down it takes dreams along with it ā¦ and thatās when the song becomes a love songā¦
ā¦the dreamer goes on to say that even if heās no longer āup in the blue painted blueā, and that probably another dream such as this will never come along again (āun sogno cosi non ritorni mai piuā), heās just as happy here on the ground lost in the blue of his babyās eyes. Ah ālāamore, i sogniā! (Ah love, ah dreams!)
Domenico Modugno at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958
LYRICS IN ITALIANO
-Verso 1-
Penso che un sogno cosƬ non ritorni mai piĆ¹,
mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu.
Poi dāimprovviso venivo dal vento rapito,
e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito.
-Ritornello 1-
Volare, oh oh,
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu dipinto di blu,
felice di stare lassĆ¹.
E volavo volavo felice
piĆ¹ in alto del sole ed ancora piĆ¹ su
mentre il mondo pian piano spariva
lontano laggiĆ¹.
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me.
Volare, oh oh
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu dipinto di blu
felice di stare lassĆ¹.
-Verso 2-
Ma tutti i sogni nellāalba svaniscon perchĆØ
quando tramonta la luna li porta con sĆØ.
Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli
che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelleā¦
Ritornello 2
Volare, oh oh
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
felice di stare quaggiĆ¹.
E continuo a volare felice
piĆ¹ in alto del sole ed ancora piĆ¹ su
mentre il mondo pian piano scompare
negli occhi tuoi blu
La tua voce ĆØ una musica dolce che suona per meā¦
Volare, oh oh
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
felice di stare quaggiĆ¹.
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
felice di stare quaggiĆ¹.
LYRICS IN ENLISH
-Verse 1-
I think that a dream like this will never return,
I painted my hands and face blue.
Then suddenly I was swept away (abducted) by the wind,
and started to fly in the endless (infinite) sky.
Chorus 1
Volare, oh oh,
sing, oh oh oh oh.
In the blue painted blue,
happy to be up there.
And I flew, I flew happy
higher than the sun and even higher
As the world slowly, slowly disappeared
far away down there.
A sweet music played only for me.
Volare, oh oh
sing, oh oh oh oh.
In the blue painted blue
happy to be up there.
~Verse 2~
But all dreams vanish because
when the moon sets it takes them along with it.
But I keep on dreaming in your beautiful eyes
That are blue like a sky dotted (quilted) with stars ā¦
Chorus 2
Volare, oh oh
sing, oh oh oh oh.
In the blue of your blue eyes
happy to be down here there.
I continue to fly happy
higher than the sun and even higher
as the world slowly disappears
in your blue eyes
Your voice is a sweet music playing for me
Volare, oh oh
sing, oh oh oh oh.
In the blue of your blue eyes
happy to be down here.
In the blue of your blue eyes
happy to be down here.
