by Dianne Hales | Apr 27, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, culture, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italy, Language, learning Italian, love in Italy, May, saints, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
One of my favorite months anywhere, May is especially beautiful in Italy. “Aprile con il fiore, maggio con il colore,” Italians say. April with its flower, May with its color. But May enchants the heart as well as the eye. As an old proverb goes,...
by Dianne Hales | Jan 27, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, Carnevale, culture, history, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italy, Language, Religion, saints, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Not many people have a classic comedy dedicated to their birthday. I do—although that’s far from the second of February’s only claim to fame. This date may always signify Groundhog Day to fans of Bill Murray and the shadow-fearing furry creature who put the...
by Dianne Hales | Nov 24, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, Leonardo da Vinci, Sayings and expressions, Thanksgiving, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Italians don’t observe the all-American holiday of Thanksgiving (la festa del ringraziamento). There are Italian words but no cultural equivalents for the day when the Pilgrim fathers and the American natives came together to celebrate the harvest in the New World....
by Dianne Hales | Nov 3, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, food, Food and Drink, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, learning Italian, Religion, Roman history, saints, Travel, Uncategorized, Web/Tech, Weblogs, wine
The warm days of early November –- known as Indian summer in the United States –- are called l’estate di San Martino (the summer of St. Martin) in Italy. Wine producers celebrate the saint’s feast on November 11 by uncorking the vino novello (new wine) from the...
by Dianne Hales | Oct 26, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, culture, Florence, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, Religion, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs, worldwarII
With so many lives lost in the global coronavirus pandemic over the last year, il giorno dei morti (the day of the dead) on November 2 takes on even greater significance. In the Catholic church, All Souls Day commemorates all who have died. When I’ve been in...
