L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano I n Italian, ghirlanda (geer-lahnd-ah) refers to a very old object: a circle made by inter- twining leaves, flow- ers, branches or other materi- als, worn on the head or used as decoration. Dictionaries define it first as "corona di foglie, di fiori, di erbe intrec- ciate," used as an ornament or as an honor at funerals and ceremonies. In everyday lan- g u a g e t h i s b e c o m e s u n a ghirlanda di fiori ("a flower garland"), una ghirlanda di rose ("a wreath of roses") or una ghirlanda di alloro for the laurel wreath worn by new graduates. The etymology is interest- ing because it shows how the word travelled: the Italian ghirlanda is connected to Old F r e n c h / P r o v e n ç a l g u i r - lande, and from there passed i n t o E n g l i s h a s g a r l a n d . Behind both forms there is probably a Germanic root related to turning and bend- ing in a circle. H i s t o r i c a l l y , g h i r l a n d e have strong symbolic value: in the ancient Mediterranean world, wreaths of laurel, olive or ivy were worn as marks of status and victory, which still survives in the modern Italian tradition of students receiving una ghirlanda d'alloro at graduation. In commemora- t i o n s , g h i r l a n d a t e n d s t o 1 bike 3 frog 7 ways, streets 8 (you/tu) cook 9 to serve 13 west 15 (you/tu) know 16 tall; high, elevated 17 tails Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 (I) drink 2 (he/she) believes 4 needle 5 air 6 (you/voi) dig 10 red 11 (feminine of) few 12 vine; screw 14 east mean a ceremonial wreath laid at a monument or grave, as in deporre una ghirlanda al Milite Ignoto, often trans- l a t e d s i m p l y a s " t o l a y a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier." In contemporary usage, the word also belongs, of course, firmly to Decem- ber: Italian speakers talk about ghirlande natalizie and ghirlande d'Avvento for the wreaths hung on doors or placed flat with candles dur- ing the run-up to Christmas. In English, these are "Christ- m a s w r e a t h s " o r " A d v e n t wreaths." The circular shape and evergreen branches carry s p e c i f i c m e a n i n g s i n t h e Christian tradition: continu- ity, eternal life and light in the darker weeks of the year. At the same time, it remains a flexible term for any deco- rative ring, whether made of flowers in spring, laurel at a university ceremony, or fir and holly in winter. H o f i n i t o c o n l e d e c o - razioni di Natale: anche la g h i r l a n d a d e l l a p o r t a è pronta! I'm done with the Christ- mas decorations, including the garland for the door! Ho usato rami di abete e erbe aromatiche per questa ghirlanda! I've used fir branches and herbs to make this garland! LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Ghirlanda: an evergreen word, from Christmas to graduation © Igor Mojzes | Dreamstime.com 1 boy 2 to talk 3 door 4 father 5 to listen 6 face 7 shirt 8 mother 9 heart 10 light 11 river 12 two 13 three 14 book 15 home 16 to drink 17 one 18 man 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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