One of the most quintessential of all Italian traditions is the passeggiata, when friends and family take to the streets of their town in the early evening, usually between 5 and 8 pm, and well, wander. The word passeggiata comes from the verb passeggiare, an Italian word for walk, combined with the suffix “-ata” which…
Category: Holidays & Traditions
Cheers to all: Cin Cin a tutti!
I never really thought about why we “toast” with our drinks when gathered with others, I just accepted it as a time-honored tradition. But the armchair historian in me was amused to discover recently, while browsing one of my Italian texts, that we have the ancients to thank for this one. This sparked my interest,…
Buon Onomastico or, the Serendipity of Italian
What is an Onomastico, and Why is it Important? “Buon onomastico!” read a Facebook post a few years back on the page of a cherished Italian cousin, followed by several people of the same first name who were tagged with well-wishes and congratulations (auguri). I had no idea what an onomastico was, but I was…
Christmas in Italy: 5 More Reasons to Celebrate!
Street Market Image Credit Here in America we have twenty-four shopping days in December until Christmas, but in Italy, the holiday season starts a bit earlier, lasts a bit longer and is sprinkled with more official celebrations. In fact, there are five holidays other than Christmas and New Year’s which are part of Italy’s stagione natalizia…
Born at Christmas
nativity: the process or circumstances of being born; especially, capitalized: the birth of Jesus. The Italian verb nascere means to be born. Like many words across many languages, nascere was “birthed” from Latin, its meaning connected to the English word nativity: Nativity is one of many words born of the Latin verb nasci, which means “to be born.” The…
What is Il Giorno dei Morti (All Souls’ Day), and why is it important in Italy?
A Guest Post by Rachel Vermiglio Smith All around the world, the end of October and early November is a time to celebrate the enduring connection between the dead and the living. In the U.S., we celebrate Halloween on October 31 every year, and while it may seem so, this isn’t just a randomly selected…
Pasqua Con Chi Vuoi – An Italian Easter Proverb
This popular Italian proverb means, “Christmas with your family, Easter with whomever you want.” I imagine Holy Week is full of festivities all over Italy! Please share in the comments any special experiences you’ve had during Eastertime in Italy. Looking for more Pasqua-related proverbs? I suggest L’Italo-Americano. For Italian Easter traditions, visit Becoming Italian Word by Word (this…
La Befana is Coming to Town
While Italian children believe in Babbo Natale (Santa Claus), they also have La Befana, an old witch-looking woman who rides a broom and delivers presents on the night before Epiphany, (Epiphania) which is celebrated January 6. This marks the final day of the stagione natale, the Christmas season. There are different accounts for the woman who inspired this legend,…
Buon Natale a Tutti / Merry Christmas to All!
Wishing everyone a blessed and beautiful holiday season. ❤ Piazza Portanova, Salerno Image Credit Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome Image Credit: Roma Ieri Oggi Facebook Page Florence Image Credit: The Travel Cocktail
Is Santa Claus Italian?
“Is Santa Claus Italian?!?” exclaimed seven-year-old Daughter as she was watching the animated movie “Rise of the Guardians.” Alec Baldwin voices Santa Claus, who does speak with an accent, although I’m not sure that it’s intended to be Italian. “Mom, listen to him!” she implored, and then really focused on the next few lines of dialogue….
Prayers & Piazzas 