L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano I t ' s n o t e v e n u p f o r debate. Italy is one of the grandest places o n e a r t h . P e r i o d . What then would we expect during the Christmas season in Italy but the best of ways to celebrate it! One day? How about one month! Christmas Day — it's a big day for many reasons, a day that retailers started prep- ping us for in early July. But the 24 hours of the 25 th day of December are up before you know it; time to start undoing all that tinsel and pack it away for another year. Scoot over, one-day-cele- bration, and make way for a month of Buone Feste. The Italian way to celebrate the s e a s o n c o m m e n c e s o n December 8 th – the Feast of Immaculate Conception. Festivities continue in one f o r m o r a n o t h e r t h r o u g h Christmas Eve and Day, c a r r y i n g f o r t h t h r o u g h January 6 th – Epiphany Day. A whole month filled with lively parades and festi- v a l s , c o p i o u s a m o u n t s o f food, and endless toasts defi- nitely increases the odds of s o a k i n g u p s o m e h o l i d a y cheer. Little Baby Jesus…and a complete cast of char- acters The holidays aren't just about prosecco and panet- tone in Italy; the focus on the birth of Christ is revered and o b s e r v e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y . T h e t r a d i t i o n a l nativity scene found in many American homes pales in comparison, though, to the I t a l i a n v e r s i o n – t h e Presepe. Baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are the lead char- a c t e r s , b u t m o s t P r e s e p e include a complete cast of townsfolks busy at work and play, landscapes, buildings, animals, comical characters, and often, motorized parts and even changes of weather. Virtually every church dis- plays an invitation to passers- b y t o c o m e o n i n , a d m i r e their Presepe. In many south- e r n l o c a l e s , t h e n a t i v i t y scenes play out in grottos and c a v e s , s o m e t i m e s f i l l i n g room-sized spaces. Bragging rights, though, go to Naples where the world's largest Presepe resides – Presepe Cucinello. It's a beehive of activity filled with 160 hand- made characters, 80 animals, a host of cherubim, and hun- dreds of tiny objects. C h e s t n u t s r o a s t i n g on… a bonfire S u c h j o y i t i s t o w a r m frosty hands by a crackling fire. Italian tradition loves a w a r m f i r e , t o o , b u t s m a l l w o n ' t d o . H u g e b o n f i r e s abound during the holidays, many with roots in pagan fes- tivals of old. From Christmas Eve bonfires festively lit in p i a z z a s , t o t h e m a s s i v e Epiphany Eve fires ceremoni- ously topped with a witch effigy to burn away the old year, Italian holiday fires could warm an entire village quite effectively. Santa, a witch, and a monster are coming to town Jolly ol' St. Nick – what would Christmas be without him? Although the merry man has been an integral part of American tradition for at least 150 years, only recently is he being embraced in Italy. However, Italian children have not missed out on the fun of legendary characters… nor have their parents on the o p p o r t u n i t y t o t h r o w o u t some motivational threats! Christmas day in Italy has traditionally been a day of food and family rather than gift giving. Presents enter the scene on Epiphany Day when t h e h a g g a r d b u t k i n d o l d witch Befana is said to wan- der through villages through- out the night of Epiphany Eve. She trails behind the Three Wise Men, desperate to catch up to them: her mission -- to find the Christ child. Perhaps he's inside one of the homes along the way; she can't chance missing him and thus leaves gifts for the good children along her route. If a witch sneaking in your house isn't unsettling enough, con- s i d e r a n a u d i e n c e w i t h a m e n a c i n g , f u r - b e d e c k e d , horned, fanged, and down- r i g h t t e r r i f y i n g c r e a t u r e k n o w n a s t h e K r a m p u s . More likely to evoke night- mares than dreams of sug- arplums, these devilish crea- t u r e s h a v e b e e n a p a r t o f northern Italian Christmases for centuries. Krampuses run amok, literally, on the eve of December 5 th . The harrow- ing clang of their bells and rumble of growls intensify as they bear down on the wait- ing crowds. It's all in good fun, of course, and merry making follows the terroriz- ing. But I bet little Gianni and sister Sofia behave like saints, at least for a while. Food. And more food. Si mangia bene always in Italy, but during the holidays it's no-holds-barred. Food rules. Traditions vary from region to region; every locale is rife with specialties and meals that make slow eating a new sport. Christmas Eve traditionally finds fish or seafood on the table, a way to dine "lean" in observance of the day before a religious fes- tival. The interpretation is somewhat loose, however, as pasta dishes and more follow. Theology is being observed here, however. Seven courses, barely enough, would honor the 7 sacraments, 12 for the a p o s t l e s … b u t w a i t , a d d Christ, so that's 13. But then again, why not 21 to observe the Trinity multiplied by the 7 sacraments. No kidding. And then arrives Christmas day and the feasting starts anew! I h e a r d t h e … b a g p i - pes…on Christmas Day? Bells are an integral part of daily life in Italy, their heav- enly song drifting from tow- ers ancient and new. And what would the Christmas season be without a plenti- tude of bells no matter where you live – those that jingle, those that play carols, those that decorate a one-horse open sleigh. It's fairly certain that bagpipes, however, are not generally associated with holiday traditions…except in Italy. The sounds of the zam- pogna, a simpler version of Scottish bagpipes, have filled Italian towns for centuries d u r i n g y u l e t i d e . A n c i e n t tunes are coaxed from wood- e n f l u t e - l i k e a r m s b y t h e m u s i c i a n s k n o w n a s t h e z a m p o g n a r i . I n Christmases past, these play- e r s w e r e s h e p h e r d s w h o would wander down from their mountain abodes bring- ing festive songs to the vil- lagers. Today, most zampo- gnari hold jobs in town but value and continue the tradi- t i o n . D r e s s e d a l m o s t t o match the sheep they tradi- tionally tended, proper gear includes oversized sheepskin vests, wooly coats, and fluffy, leather laced leg coverings. It's not unusual, either, for t h e z a m p o g n a r i t o b e a c c o m p a n i e d b y a n o t h e r wind instrument, a throw- back honoring the various medieval instruments played by the shepherds. While many of these beau- tiful, larger-than-life Italian traditions are on hold this year, joy is found in remem- brance. After all, if hope is the theme of the season, how s w e e t t h e a n t i c i p a t i o n o f renewing grand traditions in Christmas seasons to come. PAULA REYNOLDS Scary Krampus are typical of the North East of Italy (Photo: Tgasser/Dreamstime) Grande Natale! Italy's over-the-top Christmas celebrations LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

• Cover