Becoming Italian Word by Word

Celebrating a New Year in Italy--and Italian

 

Buon Anno! 

Happy New Year!

New Year’s Eve as we know it was an invention of the ancient Romans. In 153 B.C. they moved the start of the new year from the Spring equinox to January 1 and dedicated the first month of the year to Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings, who looks back toward the old year and ahead toward the new one. 

For six days, Romans celebrated by hanging lights, preparing lavish banquets, and decorating their houses with boughs of greenery, including holly and mistletoe (considered magical plants because they bore fruit in the dead of winter). The Romans gave each other glass jars filled with dates and dried figs in honey so the new year would be sweet and full of good fortune. These offerings, called strenne from the Sabine goddess of prosperity, Strenia, were the predecessors of the presents we now exchange at Christmas. 

Italians refer to New Year’s Eve by its liturgical name, la Festa di San Silvestro, the feast of St. Sylvester, a fourth-century pope. Traditionally families and friends share a huge dinner called il cenone (literally the big supper). Lentils, symbols of prosperity because they resemble coins, are almost always on the menu, often served with pork, another symbol of the richness of life. 

Tuscans eat lentils with cotechino, a big pork sausage cut like coins. Italians in Bologna and Modena eat them with zampone, or pig’s trotter.  In Piedmont, rice symbolizes money, so a cenone is sure to include risotto. Raisins, another symbol for coins, appear in desserts throughout the peninsula. 

In a relatively recent tradition, couples give each gifts of red underwear—a color that wards off the malocchio (Evil Eye) and a symbol of love, prosperity, and fertility. Traditionally Italians wear these special undies only once and throw them away after New Year’s eve.

That’s not all that Italians toss out. In order to make room for the new, they once literally threw old brooms, dishes, even furniture out the window. Regulations now prohibit this dangerous dumping, but the practice continues in some parts of Naples and the South. 

After the evening feast, most Italian cities throw a big party under the stars with music, dancing, and fireworks. Italy’s equivalent of Times Square in New York is the Piazza del Popolo in Rome. Huge crowds gather for an outdoor concert and a magnificent midnight fireworks display. The favored drink is spumante or prosecco, Italian sparkling wine, for a toast (brindisi) when the clock strikes twelve.

Whether public or private, il Veglione di Capodanno (the New Year’s party) typically lasts all night. As they head home at the dawn of Capodanno (New Year’s Day), weary revelers watch the first sunrise—and look out for the first person they see in the newborn year. According to ancient traditions, an old man or a hunchbacked person carries good luck, while a child or a priest brings bad luck in the upcoming year. 

Words and Expressions 

Il conto alla rovescia -- the countdown to midnight (meno 10, meno 9, meno 8, meno 7 ...) 

I botti di capodanno -- New year’s firecrackers and fireworks 

“Anno nuovo, vita nuova” -- new Year, new life (let’s make a fresh start)  

i buoni propositi per l’anno nuovo -- New Year resolutions, such as smettere di fumare (to stop smoking), mettersi a dieta (to go on a diet), and iscriversi in palestra (to join a gym). 

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

Click below for new year's greetings in tutte le lingue (all the languages) of the world, accompanied by John Lennon's immortal "Imagine":

 

Christmas in the Italian Language: Three Days of Celebrating

 

Le Tre Feste di Natale 

The Three Christmas Feasts 

 Most families in Italy begin celebrating il Natale on the evening of December 24 (la vigilia di Natale) with a big dinner. Because Christmas Eve is a vigilia di magro (a day of abstinence on which the Catholic Church prohibits the consumption of meat), the centerpiece of the meal is fish. 

The traditional choice is eel, a favorite of the ancient Romans that appears in the earliest known cookbook, written by a gourmand known as Apicius. This symbol of life and immortality was sold alive and wiggling, then beheaded, chopped and dropped into boiling water, spit-roasted, grilled, stewed with white wine and peas, or pickled in vinegar, oil, bay leaves, rosemary and cloves.

 In some regions the Christmas Eve feast has seven courses (for the seven sacraments); others serve nine (the trinity times three) or thirteen (for Jesus and his twelve disciples). Some of the fish dishes include fritto misto with lemon (mixed fried fish), calamari, or pasta with anchovies.  

Families may go to midnight mass (la messa di mezzanotte) in their local church or watch the Pope’s televised outdoor mass at St. Peter’s basilica in Rome. At midday on Christmas the Pope again appears on television to deliver his annual “urbi et orbi” message to “the city and the world.”

Il pranzo di Natale (the Christmas day meal) usually starts with a rich pasta, such as cappelletti in brodo, little hats stuffed with chopped meats, cheese, eggs, or pumpkin. By tradition everyone is supposed to eat at least a dozen. Depending on the region of Italy, the main course may be capon, pork or turkey. 

Everyone saves room for the special dolci (sweets). Many were created by nuns who prepared special types of sweets as gifts for prominent clergymen and noble families. They include: 

 *cartellate -- curly ribbons of dough that symbolize the sheets on which baby Jesus lay 

 *calzoncelli—the pillows for his head 

 *latte di mandorla—Virgin’s milk 

 *calzone di San Leonardo— trousers of St. Leonard, which represent the cradle. 

Among the various types of holiday bread (pane) are pangiallo (a round bread crammed with fruits and nuts--an ancient symbol of fertility), panforte (a fruitcake-like specialty of Siena), and panpepato (peppery and dark, somewhat like gingerbread). 

The most famous is the tall cupola-shaped panettone, with origins that date back to ancient Rome. The term derives from panetto (loaf of bread) combined with “one” (a suffix meaning large and pronounced “oh-nay”), although some claim its name comes from the Milanese expression “pan di ton” (luxury bread).  

After the meal, families play a game called tombola, similar to bingo, with dried beans as markers. Players win coins or small prizes for covering two numbers (ambo), three (terno), five (cinquina), or the entire card (tombola). In towns and cities many Italians have started a new Christmas day tradition: going to the movies. 

December 26 brings Prima Festa (first feast) and another big family meal to honor Santo Stefano (St. Stephen), the first Christian martyr, who was stoned to death for his beliefs. This day gave rise to an idiomatic expression--da Natale a San Stefano (from Christmas to St. Stephen’s Day)—to describe a very brief period of time. 

Words and Expressions

Buone Feste -- Happy Celebrations/Holidays

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo -- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 

un Natale pieno di amore, pace e felicità -- a Christmas filled with love, peace and happiness

i più cari auguri per un sereno Natale e per un anno nuovo ricco di soddisfazioni -- dearest wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a fulfilling new year 

I migliori auguri per il Santo Natale e per il 2012 -- best wishes for Holy Christmas and for 2012 

Click below to hear Nat King Cole blend Italian and English in this Christmas song:

Christmas in the Italian Language: Family Traditions

 

Le tradizioni di Natale 

Christmas Traditions 

“Natale con i tuoi; Pasqua con chi vuoi,” Italians say. “Christmas with your family; Easter with whomever you want.” An Italian Christmas centers on casa (home) and stare insieme in famiglia (being together as a family). Here are some of the most beloved traditions among Italian families:

L’albero di Natale (Christmas tree)

 Italians in the northern part of the country began decorating alberi di Natale (Christmas trees) after World War II, and this tradition is becoming more widespread. 

In some parts of Italy, families build a tree of light, a pyramid-shaped wooden frame several feet high with tiers of shelves decorated with colored banners and gilt pine cones. Often a Nativity scene (presepio) occupies the bottom shelf, with gifts of fruit, candy, and presents above, small candles fastened to the slanted sides, and a star or small doll hung at the top. 

In Sicily families make beautiful little altars, hung with green leaves and encircled by oranges, lemons, polished apples, pears, chestnuts, figs, and colored eggs. 

La letterina di Natale (the children’s Christmas letter) 

Italian children, like American youngsters, write special letters at Christmas time. However, rather than simply requesting presents, they describe how good they’ve been at home and in school so Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) can evaluate whether they deserve the toys they want. 

A few weeks before Natale, with the help of their teachers (le maestre), children write their thoughts and express their love and appreciation for their parents on special paper (carta) decorated with lustrini d’oro e d’argento (gold and silver glitter) and figure meravigliose (marvelous figures). The children hide the letters in a tovagliolo (napkin) or under their father’s plate before il pranzo di Natale (the Christmas meal). 

Every year the father pretends to be amazed to find the letter and to read the children’s self-evaluation and thanks for i sacrifici (the sacrifices) the parents have made on their behalf. In some families the father reads the letterina aloud; in others the children do so. 

La tredicesima (the thirteenth) 

This is the present Italian grown-ups most look forward to: a Christmas bonus usually consisting of another month’s salary (un’altra mensilità di stipendio), which is why it’s called “the thirteenth.” 

Regardless of whether the amount is modest or generous, the extra money creates a sense of abundance (abbondanza) that enhances the season’s celebrations. 

La filastrocca di Natale 

A filastrocca is a children’s nonsense rhyme. One of the best known is la filastrocca di Babbo Natale, which many boys and girls memorize and recite for their families at Christmas: 

Babbo Natale viene di notte,
 

viene in silenzio a mezzanotte.

 Dormono tutti i bimbi buoni
 

e nei lettini sognano i doni. 

Babbo Natale vien fra la neve

porta i suoi doni là dove deve.
 

Non sbaglia certo: 

 conosce i nomi
 di tutti 

 quanti i bimbi buoni. 

English translation:

Father Chrismas comes at night; 

He comes in silence at midnight 

All the good children are sleeping 

In their beds they dream of gifts.

Father Chrismas comes in the snow 

He carries the gifts where they must go. 

He never makes a mistake. 

He knows all the names 

Of all the good children.

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

Click below to see Babbo Natale and assorted reindeers and snowmen dance:

Christmas in the Italian Language: An Italian Nativity Scene

 

Il presepio or presepe

The Nativity Scene

Centuries ago, in 1223, San Francesco (Saint Francis), the charismatic friar of Umbria, wanted to bring to life the story of il natale di bambino Gesù  (Baby Jesus’s birth). In the little town of Greccio, he placed a manger in some straw and added a living Madonna, San Giuseppe (St. Joseph), shepherds (pastori), and actual cattle (bue), sheep (pecore), and donkeys (asinelli), the animals that, as the story goes, once warmed the infant with their breath. 

Throughout Italy every church constructs a presepio. including presepi viventi (living crèches) with real people and animals, ranging from simple to stunning. Some include hills,  trees, lakes, rivers, angels suspended by wires, the Christmas star (stella cometa) and reproductions of an entire village or countryside with the cave (grotta) of Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The culla di paglia (cradle of straw) remains empty until the night of Natale. 

Naples is most famous for its presepi, with hundreds of nativity scenes, including many with handmade or antique figures, set up around the city. Throughout the year artisans along San Gregorio Armeno create elaborate statuine (clay figures) of the traditional Nativity figures as well as of contemporary personalities such as Silvio Berlusconi and President Obama. 

In the past many families would go to the woods (bosco) to gather moss and greens to serve as backdrop. for their presepio. Today it’s possible to buy plastic figurines, fake grass, and entire miniature villages. However, the tradition of putting together a unique presepio remains strong.  

One friend recalls the annual ritual of unpacking the box (scatola) in which all the statuini were stored. Her father would take out each pastore (shepherd), introduce him by name, and tell a little story about his life and what he was doing on that magical night so many years ago. Each of the children would do the same with the animals. Because the magi or wise men didn't arrive in Bethlehem until January 6, the date of the Epiphany, his family would place the three kings at a distance from the presepio and move them, along with the star they followed, ever closer every day.

 If you’re in Italy for the holidays, don’t miss a visit to the local presepi. In Rome you can find a huge presepio in St. Peter's Square as well as other elaborate ones in the Piazza del Popolo, Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Maria d'Aracoeli, and Piazza Navona. At any time of year you can view presepi at two museums: Il Museo Nazionale di San Martino in Naples and Il Museo Tipologico Nazionale del Presepio, under the church of Saints Quirico e Giulitta in Rome.  

Words and Expressions 

presepe vivente -- living nativity scene 

stella cometa -- the comet, guiding star 

culla di paglia -- cradle of straw 

il natale di bambino Gesù  or il natale del bambin Gesù  -- Baby Jesus’s birth 

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

To tour Naples’ famous street of the presepi makers, click below:

Italian Christmas Carols: Songs of Joy in the Italian Language

 

Il canto di Natale 

 The Christmas Carol 

You expect Christmas to look different in Italy, but it’s surprising to discover that it sounds different too. Rather than jingling sleigh bells, the traditional sound of Christmas in Rome and southern Italy is the music of bagpipes and flutes played by shepherds from the Abruzzi. 

According to legend, shepherds entertained the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem with their simple instruments. Zampognari (bagpipe players), wearing shaggy sheepskin vests, felt hats, and crisscrossed leather leggings, used to come to Rome weeks before Christmas to play in churches. These days the shepherds arrive later and play their ancient instruments in front of elegant stores along the Via Condotti and other shopping streets near the Spanish Steps. 

Like so many other Christmas traditions, il canto di Natale (the Christmas song or carol) has Italian origins. In the thirteenth century, San Francesco (St. Francis) of Assisi and his followers, the first Franciscan friars, created a large number of Christmas hymns to give praise and thanks for the birth of il Bambino Gesù. 

Italians, like people in other countries, sing hymns such as Adeste Fidelis (“O Come All Ye Faithful") in the original Latin. However, the lyrics of other classic carols are quite different in Italian. Stille Nacht, for instance, originally written in German by an Ausrian composer, translates, not as “Silent Night,” but as Astro del ciel (Star of Heaven). Here is the first verse and the literal translation into English: 

Astro del ciel / Pargol divin /mite Agnello Redentor! 
 Tu che i Vati da lungi sognar / tu che angeliche voci nunziar, luce dona alle genti 
pace infondi nei cuor! 


Star of Heaven / Holy child / meek lamb, you are our savior! / You are the one that far away prophets dream about/ You are the one that angelic voices announce/ Enlighten us all / instill peace in our hearts. 

Among the many beautiful Italian canti di Natale, the most beloved (and my personal favorite) is Tu Scendi dalle Stelle, written by Alphonsus Liquori in the 18th century. Here are the lyrics in Italian and an English translation of the first verse: 

Tu scendi dalle stelle 

 O Re del cielo 

 E vieni in una grotta 

 Al freddo al gelo 

 O Bambino mio Divino Io 

 Ti vedo qui tremar! 

English translation 

From starry skies Thou comest 

 The King of Heav'n foretold, 

 Appearing in a manger, 

 Near frozen from the cold. 

 Jesus, dearest little Baby, 

 How I long to make Thee warm! 

Italians have adopted some American carols, even though phrases like “jingle bells” don’t translate. Here is the Italian version: “Suona jingle bells / tintinnando nei cammin 
le campanelle d'or/ 

 Jingle bells, jingle bells / suona jingle bells / E suonando porterà 
la gioia in ogni cuor.” English translation: Ring little bells! Golden bells are jingling inside the chimneys. Jingle bells, jingle bells/ ring little bells!

You can find Italian versions of "The Little Drummer Boy" (Batte nel Cuore, Suona Natale) and "Joy to the World" (Gioia nel Mondo) as well as Italian classics on a wonderful new Christmas album, Extravergine: A Mediterranean Christmas, by Michael Castaldo. Click below to view the clever and joyous trailer:

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

Christmas in the Italian Language: The Saint of Light and Sight

 

La Festa di Santa Lucia (December 13) 

The Feast of San Lucia

In the dark of December parts of Italy light up to celebrate a saint whose name derives from the Latin lux or lucis for light (luce in Italian). 

Lucia was a young girl who lived in Syracuse on the island of Sicily in the third century. According to various legends, this saintly virgin would wear a wreath of candles as she carried food to Christians hiding in underground tunnels. When a suitor claimed to be captivated by her eyes, Lucia plucked them out and had them sent to him on a platter. (In another version, she was blinded and miraculously cured.) 

Denounced as a Christian, Lucia was ordered to work in a brothel by Roman authorities. She refused to go, and nothing—not even a fire set under her feet—could get her to budge. One of her persecutors ultimately killed her by stabbing her in the throat. 

The patron saint of sight, Lucia is often portrayed holding a plate with a pair of eyes on it. As a way of tasting the enlightenment St. Lucia brings, Italians eat “gli occhi di Santa Lucia” (the eyes of St. Lucia) usually made from bread or biscotti. The same phrase also refers to shells shaped like an eye that bring good luck if found on a beach.    

St. Lucia gained greater fame in 1582, when famine struck Syracuse. On December 13 a boat filled with grain appeared in the harbor. Rather than processing the grain into flour, the starving people simply boiled and ate it. 

Sicilians honor the memory of St. Lucia by lighting bonfires and abstaining from anything made of wheat flour on December 13. They traditionally prepare cuccia (which rhymes with Lucia), a dessert made of whole wheat berries, cooked in water and mixed with sweetened ricotta flavored with candied orange bits and shaved chocolate. 

Missionaries and mariners carried the legend ot Santa Lucia to Sweden, where she is credited with again saving a town from famine by sending a boat filled with food. At its helm was a woman dressed in white with a glow above her head. 

According to tradition, in some parts of northeastern Italy, including the cities of Bergamo, Cremona, and Verona, St. Lucia rides a flying donkey (asino volante) to bring gifts (regali) to good children and coal (carbone) to bad ones. To make sure she stops, youngsters leave out a snack for Lucia and carrots and hay for her donkey. However, they are warned never to try to catch a glimpse of her.If they do, she may throw ashes (cenere) in their eyes and temporarily blind them.

The phrase “Santa Lucia” is famous for a different reason in Italy —as a traditional Neapolitan song written in praise of the picturesque waterfront district, Borgo Santa Lucia on the Bay of Naples. In 1849 Santa Lucia became the first Neapolitan song to be given Italian lyrics and sung as a barcarola (gondolier's song) in the early stages of the Risorgimento, the fight for the unification of Italy. 

Enrico Caruso, the great Neapolitan opera singer, recorded the most famous 20th-century version, but everyone from Elvis Presley (in his 1965 album Elvis for Everyone) to Luciano Pavarotti has sung this iconic tune. 

Here are the lyrics to the opening verses in Italian and English: 

Italian 

Sul mare luccica 

L'astro d'argento

Placida e' l'onda 

Prospero e' il vento 

Venite all'agile 

Barchetta mia 

Santa Lucia 

Santa Lucia... 

English 

Over the sea 

shines a silver star. 

Placid is the wave. 

Fair is the wind. 

Come to 

my swift little boat, 

Santa Lucia, 

Santa Lucia. 

Click below to hear this lovely tune and see a very young Elvis in uniform.

Christmas in Italy's Small Towns

This is a guest article from Dream of Italy's award-winning subscription travel newsletter.

Italian Towns Catch the Christmas Spirit

Marielena Martone

Although Italy is a land of tradition and religious devotion throughout the year, it becomes even more so at Christmas (Il Natale). Beginning with the Festività della Concezione Immaculate (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) on December 8, each region unveils its unique homage to the holiday season.

From the German-influenced markets in Trentino-Alto Adige in the north to the arrival of mountain shepherds playing their zampogne in southern Puglia, Christmas celebrations offer a chance to experience the variety of cultures that flourish within Italy's borders. 

Amalfi (Campania)

In this gorgeous coastal town, the locals have their own way of showing homage to the birth of the Baby Jesus. In the Grotta dello Smeraldo (Emerald Cave), with its stalactites and colossal 10-meter stalagmites protruding up from the sea, every year on Christmas, scuba divers deliver the Holy Child to a ceramic presepe (crib) inside the cave. What a way to spend a birthday!

Bolzano (Trentino-Alto Adige)

From November 29 to December 23, this Sudtirol town hosts a charming Christmas market combining both German and Mediterranean traditions. The Mercatino di Natale (Christkindlmarkt in German), captured in the video below, takes over the town squares with twinkling lights and the enticing aroma of vin brûlé (mulled wine). On the weekends, traditional storytellers, trumpeters and musicians gather in the Piazza Walther and in local churches. Area restaurants offer a typical Sudtirolean menu, which mixes German culinary traditions with Italian delights. The artists' market in Piazza Municipio offers unique yuletide ornaments, terracotta and ceramics.

Bressanone (Trentino-Alto Adige)

The lovely little ski town of Bressanone, hidden in the Dolomites and dating all the way back to 901 A.D., puts on the Weihnachtsmarkt (literally, votive night market, another common Christmas market found throughout Germany) from November 29 to January 6, offering equally alluring gifts and delicacies. After the market, visit the Museo di Presepi (Crèche Museum) in the Palazzo Vescovile.

Gargano (Puglia)

Christmas in this Pugliese town is truly a magical, musical celebration. The first few days of December host the arrival of the zampognari (men who play the zampogne, an instrument similar to the bagpipes) who travel to Gargano from Abruzzo or Basilicata. They arrive in groups of two or three, clad in their typical capes and regional costumes. The two "mystic" shepherds, one old and one young, surround a group of celebrating children, playing their allegre novene (joyful songs), and at night they gather in the Grotta dell'Arcangelo (Cave of the Archangel) to play traditional shepherd melodies.

Gubbio (Umbria)

Named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "world's largest Christmas tree," this albero di Natale, constructed of four thousand meters of lights upon Monte Ingino, can be seen all the way from Perugia, 18 miles away. It is first lit on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and stays lit throughout the night from Christmas through New Year's.

Prato (Tuscany)

This charming town's Christmas market starts on December 14 and is perfect for finding old books and delicate linens. Just a 10-minute train ride from Florence, a visit to Prato offers the perfect chance to get out of the hustle and bustle of la città d'arte during the holidays. Here you can snatch up some interesting (and likely less expensive) gifts to bring back to loved ones at home.

Dianne Hales is the author of  La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.  For a virtual visit to Bolzano's Mercatino di Natale, click below.

The Original Santa Claus in the Italian Language

San Nicola di Bari

In some parts of Italy the feast  of San Nicola, patron saint of Bari,  ushers in the Christmas season (stagione natalizia) with the giving of gifts (regali) on the eve or morning of December 6, his onomastico (name’s day). Although many stories of San Nicola’ s life may be mythical, he did inspire the figure of a beloved old man—whether he’s known as Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) or Santa Claus—who gives out presents in December.

The son of a wealthy Christian family, San Nicola grew up in a Greek-speaking colony of the Roman Empire (now part of Turkey) and became bishop (vescovo) of the city of Myra. In addition to saving a sailor from drowning during a voyage to Egypt, Nicola also reportedly restored three murdered children to life. And so he became the patron saint (patrono) of sailors (marinai) and children (bambini).

In the most famous legend about the saint, an impoverished man in his diocese couldn’t afford dowries for his three daughters, which meant they would never find husbands.  With no money to feed and clothe the girls, the desperate father was planning to sell them into prostitution. 

On  three separate occasions, Nicola, who had inherited a fortune, tossed a sack of gold down the family’s chimney (camino).  The coins landed in socks and shoes (calze e scarpe) left to dry by the fire, inspiring a  Christmas Eve tradition. As word of his generosity spread, any anonymous gift was attributed to the kindly bishop.

When San Nicola died of old age (a rarity at the time) in 343, his bones (ossa) were  placed in the cathedral of Myra, which became a popular pilgrimage destination. After the Turks conquered the city in 1087, sailors from Bari, racing against Venetian sailors with the same intent, rescued  the saint’s remains and brought them to rest in their home town in southern Italy. 

Bari’s fedeli (worshipers, believers) built an enormous basilica over the reliquie del santo (saint’s relics), which reportedly produce a clear liquid called Manna with mysterious healing powers. Every year a three-day festival celebrates the arrival of the sacred relics in Bari and the collection of the holy Manna on May 8. 

Over the centuries San Nicola inspired the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas (from a shortened version of Nicola’s name in Dutch), which emigrants carried to North America.  When the British took over the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, which later became New York City, they also adopted the tradition of the gift-giving Sinterklaas. However, they mispronounced the Dutch name, and so Sinterklaas became Santa Claus.

Today’s chubby, red-suited, white-bearded American Santa Claus may bear little physical resemblance to San Nicola di Bari. But both figures share a generosity of spirit (generosità  di spirito) and love of children (eterno amore per i bambini) that remain timeless.

Words and Expressions 

santità -– saintliness

festa del santo –- saint’s day

santino -– little holy picture reproducing the image of a saint and a prayer.

santificare le feste –- to observe the holy festivities.

santo martire –- martyred saint

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA, My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

If you're not yet in the Christmas mood, click below, and you soon will be.

The Christmas Season in the Italian Language

 

la stagione natalizia

the Christmas season

To celebrate la stagione natalizia in Italy, I am dedicating a month of blog posts to the sights, sounds, tastes, and traditions of Natale.  Buone feste! (Happy Holidays!)

In ancient times the Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a winter solstice festival with religious rites and drunken feasts. The early Christian church decreed December 25 — then the feast of the sun god Mithras -- as the birthday of Gesù bambino (Baby Jesus), the “true light” who came to dispel darkness in the world.

Modern Italian holidays blend religious and pagan festivities that create un’atmosfera natalizia that lasts from weeks before to weeks after December 25. Children in Italy, as elsewhere, often count down the days with a calendario dell’avvento (advent calendar).  

Although you can find more extravagant decorations (decorazioni) in the United States, Christmas lights (illuminazioni natalizie) and alberi di Natale are becoming more popular in Italy. In Torino lighting artists illuminate more than twelve miles of streets and squares. An 875-yard-tall Christmas tree—the world’s tallest, according to the Guiness Book of Records--made up of 450 lights stands near the top of Monte Ingino, above Gubbio in Umbria. Its bright star can be seen from as far away as Perugia. 

Here are the key dates in a season of celebrations:

*December 6, La festa di San Nicola, patron saint of shepherds and of Bari--and the inspiration for the American "Santa Claus."

*December 8, La festa dell'Immacolata, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a Catholic holy day honoring Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus. In Rome the Pope comes to the Piazza di Spagna to drop a garland of flowers around the statue of the Madonna. (Since she tops a high column, firemen on ladders do the actual placement.)

*December 13: La festa di Santa Lucia, the festival of lights.

*December 24: La vigilia di Natale, the vigil or eve of Christmas.

*December 25: Natale,  the “birthday” of Gesù bambino.

*December 26: La festa di Santo Stefano, Saint Steven’s day.

*December 31: La festa di San Silvestro, Saint Sylvester’s day or New Year’s Eve (la vigilia di Capodanno).

*January 1: Il Capodanno, literally the top of the year.

*January 6: L’Epifania, Epiphany, which marks the arrival of the Re Magi, the three wise men, who brought gifts to the infant Jesus from afar.

Words and Expressions

addobbi natalizi or decorazioni natalizie –- Christmas decorations

palline dell’albero di natale -- Christmas tree ornaments

ghirlanda natalizia –- Christmas wreath

luci dell’albero di natale –- Christmas tree lights

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA, My Love Affair with the World's Most Enchanting Language -- an ideal Christmas gift for lovers of Italy and its language. 

Here is a classic Italian canzone di Natale, accompanied by images of la stagione natalizia: