L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano T h e I t a l i a n w o r d rinfresco (reen- frai-sko) comes f r o m t h e v e r b r i n f r e s c a r e , which means "to refresh" or "to make fresh again." Its root, in turn, comes from the L a t i n r e f r i g e r o , w h i c h means "to cool down" or "to refresh," with the word itself is a combination of "re-", implying a return or repeti- tion, and "frigus," meaning cold or cool. Over time, the term evolved to refer not just to cooling, but to the act of refreshing oneself, especially in social contexts. I n d e e d , t h e w o r d refrigerium was used in a n c i e n t R o m a n t i m e s t o d e s c r i b e a l i g h t m e a l o r snack, typically provided as a form of refreshment during communal or religious gath- e r i n g s . T h e s e m e a l s w e r e often offered after a period of fasting or as a way to break the monotony of long reli- gious ceremonies. In Roman f u n e r a r y c u s t o m s , t h e r e f r i g e r i u m r e f e r r e d t o a meal consumed in cemeteries during funeral rites or com- memorative ceremonies for the dead, and was part of a l a r g e r r i t u a l d e s i g n e d t o honor the deceased. By the Middle Ages, the term had come to be used more generally to refer to light meals served during 1 battery 3 hair (on the body) 7 for 8 (you/tu) find 9 at the front, in front 13 west 15 six 16 (you/voi) give 17 wool Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 pipe, for smoking 2 (feminine of) wide 4 echo 5 (he/she) hates 6 eighty 10 head 11 north 12 (he/she) pulls 14 east social occasions, often held between larger meals or after long ceremonies. It was espe- cially common during festi- vals, weddings, and religious events, where people gath- ered to share simple snacks and beverages. In contemporary Italian, rinfresco primarily refers to an informal reception or light buffet served to guests during or after an event. It typically involves a variety of drinks, a p p e t i z e r s , a n d p a s t r i e s , o f f e r i n g a c a s u a l w a y f o r guests to mingle and enjoy themselves. For instance, you may go to a conference or a book presentation and find out that ci sarà un rinfresco dopo la presentazione ("A reception will be held after the presentation"). In other occasions, like a First Holy Communion, some parents may prefer to organizzare un p i c c o l o r i n f r e s c o a c a s a , rather than booking a restau- rant. Il rinfresco del matrimo- nio è stato organizzato nel giardino della villa. The wedding reception was organized in the garden of the villa. Abbiamo preparato un rinfresco con finger food e vino per la festa di com - pleanno. We prepared a light buffet with finger foods and wine for the birthday party. LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Rinfresco: a refreshing Italian tradition through time © Pojoslaw | Dreamstime.com 1 face 2 to listen 3 car 4 home 5 three 6 school 7 to eat 8 father 9 one 10 boy 11 head 12 door 13 son 14 table A C R O S S D O W N ITALIAN WORD SEARCH The solution to these word games will be available on the next edition. Games courtesy of Lexis Rex

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