A Final Blog: Looking Back–and Moving Forward

by | Jan 11, 2022 | Books, books on Italy, culture, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, learning Italian, Travel, Uncategorized, Web/Tech, Weblogs

b.                 The start of a new year is a good time to follow the example of the Roman god Janus, whose two faces allowed him to look back to the past and ahead to the future. As 2022  begins, I  recall 2009, the year when LA BELLA LINGUA was published and when...

Celebrating Italy’s Good Witch

by | Jan 4, 2022 | books on Italy, culture, Epiphany, history, Italian, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Religion, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Uncategorized, Web/Tech, Weblogs

Long after many Americans have taken down their Christmas trees and packed away the decorations, Italians continue to celebrate. The final feast is l’Epifania, on January 6, which commemorates the arrival of i re magi, the three kings who followed the bright Christmas...

Christmas in Italy: The Nativity Scene

by | 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...

Christmas in Italy: The Original Saint Nick

by | Nov 30, 2021 | Christmas in Italy, culture, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, Religion, saints, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs

In some parts of Italy the feast of San Nicola, patron saint of Bari, ushers in the Christmas season with the giving of gifts on the eve or morning of December 6, his onomastico (name day). Although many stories of San Nicola’ s life may be mythical, he did inspire...

Giving Thanks in Italian

by | Nov 23, 2021 | books on Italy, culture, Italian, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, learning Italian, Sayings and expressions, Thanksgiving, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs

  There is an Italian name — la Festa del Ringraziamento — but no cultural equivalent for the day when the Pilgrim fathers (padri pellegrini) and the American native people came together to celebrate the harvest in the New World. Although turkey...