by Dianne Hales | Dec 21, 2021 | books on Italy, Christmas in Italy, creche, food, Food and Drink, Italian, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Religion, Rome, saints, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
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...
by Dianne Hales | Dec 14, 2021 | Christmas in Italy, creche, culture, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, Religion, Saint Francis, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
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 (the birth of Baby Jesus). In the little town of Greccio, he placed a manger in some straw and added a living...
by Dianne Hales | Dec 22, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, Christmas in Italy, creche, Italian language, Italy, Nativity scene, Religion, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
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...
by Dianne Hales | Dec 14, 2020 | Assisi, Books, books on Italy, Christmas in Italy, creche, culture, history, Italian language, Italy, Nativity scene, Religion, Rome, Saint Francis, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
“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). But even at a distance the sights and sounds of...
by Dianne Hales | Dec 1, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, Christmas in Italy, creche, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, Nativity scene, Religion, saints, Sicily, Tuscany, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Italy’s Christmas season begins with the celebration of San Nicola on December 6 and Santa Lucia on December 13. The son of a wealthy Christian family, Nicola grew up in a Greek-speaking colony of the Roman Empire, now part of Turkey, and became bishop of the city of...
by Dianne Hales | Sep 29, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, creche, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, Religion, saints, Travel, Umbria, Web/Tech, Weblogs
October 4 marks the feast of San Francesco (St. Francis), born in Assisi in 1182, the son of a prosperous textile merchant. Young Francesco, the ringleader of a band of hard-drinking, carousing young men, seemed an unlikely candidate for salvation — let alone...
