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...

St. Martin’s Summer in Italy

by | Nov 2, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, culture, history, Italian, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, love in Italy, Religion, saints, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Venice, Web/Tech, Weblogs, wine

Long ago on a cold and rainy November 11, a former Roman soldier named Martino came across a man stumbling and shivering on the road. Although he wanted to help, Martino had no money or blanket to offer. And so he took out his sword, slashed his cloak and gave half to...

Italy’s “Day of the Dead”

by | Oct 26, 2021 | autumn, Books, books on Italy, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italy, Language, Religion, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs

  Italy’s cimiteri (cemeteries) are coming alive this week as families prepare for November 2 (All Souls’ Day), which the Catholic Church dedicates alla commemorazione dei defunti (to the commemoration of the deceased). To celebrate Il giorno dei morti (the Day...

Italy’s Other Languages

by | Oct 19, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, culture, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, learning Italian, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs

For centuries the Italian peninsula was a patchwork of hundreds of dialects, often as different from one another as French from Spanish or English from Italian. Sailors from Genoa couldn’t understand—or be understood by—merchants from Venice or farmers from Friuli. ...