L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 L'Italo-Americano C h r i s t m a s i s f i n a l l y h e r e a n d t h e h e a - vens know how badly we need s o m e s e a s o n a l c h e e r t h i s y e a r . I t ' s b e e n a h a r d 1 2 m o n t h s a n d w e d e s e r v e some peace, quite and pan- doro, let me tell you. What's beautiful about this time of the year is how unique it can be, in spite of its cele- brations stemming all from t h e s a m e s p i r i t u a l r o o t : e v e r y f a m i l y h a s i t s o w n Christmas day's menu and its peculiar Advent habits. And even when it comes to c h o o s i n g w h i c h m a s s t o attend, some are all for the midnight mass on the 24th w h i l e o t h e r s o p t f o r t h e main mass on the 25th. In Italy, Christmas pecu- liarities are many. The first is probably related to gifts and who brings them. In the US, Santa takes care of the b u s i n e s s : f r o m A l a s k a t o Hawaii, children wait for the most famous grandpa on Earth and his reindeers t o d e l i v e r p r e s e n t s a n d cheer. We Italians, though, like to be over the top, and not only when it comes to public display of affection and the importance we give to the quality of our mor- ning coffee. So, we get our presents delivered throu- g h o u t t h e m o n t h s o f December and January, by no less than five different people. I should also highli- ght how, of the five, three are worthy of worship, so yes, presents are a serious business here. On the 6th of December, Italian children in some parts of Italy, espe- cially in the North, receive a f i r s t b a t c h o f g i f t s f r o m S a i n t N i c h o l a s , then, a f e w d a y s l a t e r , a s e c o n d r o u n d c o m e s w i t h S a i n t Lucy, on the 13th. Nick and Lucy aren't on delivery duty everywhere in the country, though, as it's usually only the areas or villages where their cult is more heartfelt that the tradition develo- ped. The 24th, of course, it's showtime for Santa, but in Italy it hasn't always been Baby Jesus cannot appear before he is actually born, so either you leave him hid- den in a drawer until it's t h e r i g h t t i m e o r , i f y o u want to avoid the shame of forgetting him there until New Years' Eve (yes, I did it), you can place it in his l i t t l e c r i b a n d c o v e r h i m with a tiny piece of fabric or w i t h a w a d o f c o t t o n , a s white and pure as snow. Some of our Christmas traditions can create family f e u d s , t o o . F o r i n s t a n c e , when is the right time to have the main Christmas meal: on the evening of the E v e , w h i l e w a i t i n g f o r Midnight Mass, or the fol- l o w i n g d a y a t l u n c h ? Roughly speaking, the tra- dition of having Christmas dinner on the Eve belongs t o t h e S o u t h , w h i l e Northerners tend to gather together for Christmas Day lunch, but truth is it's not that simple, as habits can c h a n g e f r o m a f a m i l y t o another. Not a bit deal, you m a y t h i n k : e i t h e r i n t h e e v e n i n g o r a t l u n c h , t h e i m p o r t a n t i s b e i n g w i t h y o u r f a m i l y , r i g h t ? Y e s , right, but it can get compli- cated when, for instance, you marry someone whose f a m i l y a l w a y s h a d C h r i s t m a s l u n c h w h i l e yours always had Christmas Eve dinner, because which habit should the new hou- sehold follow? A n o t h e r q u i r k o f o u r C h r i s t m a s e s i s t h a t t h e p a n e t t o n e y o u o p e n a t C h r i s t m a s s h o u l d n ' t b e eaten all: yes, you should keep at least a couple of sli- ces of it until February and e a t t h e m o n t h e 3 r d , t h e day of Saint Biagio, to keep away illness and disease. The last Christmas tradi- tion to mention is one that is associated with Italy, but in truth isn't Italian: the F e a s t o f t h e S e v e n like that, as we had Baby Jesus doing the rounds up to a couple of decades ago: how a newborn could carry presents across the country flying alone in the winter sky remained a mystery for generations, but I guess it's not more nonsensical than h a v i n g a n o v e r w e i g h t , elderly man on a sled doing the same. Of course, it's not over, because on the 6th of J a n u a r y , e x a c t l y 3 0 d a y s after the Italian gift delivery b o n a n z a s t a r t e d , t h e B e f a n a c a r r i e s t h e l a s t c a n d y - f i l l e d s t o c k i n g s t o children across the country, taking the holidays with her on her way out. A s e c o n d C h r i s t m a s habit typical of Italy is that of putting the statuette of Baby Jesus in the Presepe o n l y o n t h e 2 4 t h , b e t t e r even if after midnight — so, technically, already on the 2 5 t h . I f y o u a r e s e r i o u s about your Nativity Scene, Fishes. Yes, as big as it is o n y o u r s i d e o f t h e p o n d a m o n g t h e I t a l i a n - American community, this amazing feast does't exist a s s u c h i n t h e B e l p a e s e . Truth is, however, that the Feast is nothing more than a creative, original version of the Christmas Eve din- ner many Italians of Italy have every year, a dinner that often includes, espe- c i a l l y i n t h e S o u t h , f i s h a m o n g i t s d i s h e s , a s t h e 24th is considered a giorno d i m a g r o , t h a t i s , a d a y when meat can't be consu- med. Well, it's a beautiful t r a d i t i o n , o n e I t h i n k Italians from Italy should copy from the Italians of America and embrace with gusto. Now that you make me think of it… I may have already a couple of recipes in mind… Buon Natale a tutti, and m a y i t b e a p e a c e f u l a n d serene day for you all. Panettone: only one of the many typical things of an Italian Christmas (Photo: Gustavo Andrade/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES Five things typical of Italian Christmases CHIARA D'ALESSIO

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