December Festivals and Holiday Events in Italy brought to you by Katherine “Kate” Pulzone.  Christmas is coming and the club members would love to hear Christmas stories from Italian families in Louisville.  Please e-mail me (Kate), your favorite recipe for Christmas or your favorite Italian tradition to KPuzo@insightbb.com and we’ll get it on our website.

 

         My friends in the club have often heard me describe one of my favorite Italian pastry that I miss dearly on holidays since leaving New Jersey (and the Tri-State area), and that is Struffoli and Baba’ al Rum as well as many others.  Struffoli is one of those Italian traditions, famous in the Naples area of Italy, we ate Christmas Day, (and picked on the rest of the week).  Christmas season is famous for Struffoli.  My grandmother and mother would always make it but if we didn’t have time, we’d get it any of the Italian pastry shops and bakeries, but because we always had twenty to thirty people at dinner, we wanted a two foot tall tree of Struffoli so we’d make it ourselves.   Don’t forget the traditional seafood on Christmas Eve.  We only consume fish and it’s a minimum of six different dishes, one of which has to be eel.  Lobster marinara over linguine is a favorite because the lobster is cooked in the marinara sauce and the juices from the lobster flavor the marinara in a way that no words can describe.  Another favorite is spaghetti with tuna.    Don’t forget the fried calamari.  Italians stuff the calamari and cook them in a marinara sauce and serve over linguine.  Indescribably delicious. 

 

STRUFFOLI

Not all bakeries make it with roasted almonds so this was an added nutritional treat.  Salty roasted almonds with honey – nothing can beat it.  It was so pretty, that it’s made a day before Christmas Eve and is shaped like a Christmas tree and placed on a white lace doily on a platter.  With a few little spoons placed nearby, guests would take a spoon and lift out one of the little honey balls or a roasted almond to hold them over until dinner.  It’s time consuming but not difficult to make and you will love it.  This photo is as close as I could find and it looks like the top was already consumed.

 

If you decide to visit Italy during the Christmas season, bring a good wool jacket or something warm because you will want to wander out at night and see the lights and decorations and listen to the angelic choirs rehearsing from the cathedrals and churches.  The skies vary between a royal and midnight blue and the stars are exceptionally bright and it’s truly peaceful and spiritual.  Here are just a few of the activities that take place during December.

 

Here is Milan’s piazza “Duomo” at Christmas:

Wild Boar Festival - The wild boar festival in the medieval Tuscan town of Suvereto, in the Livorno province, is a 10 day festival starting at the end of November and lasting through December 8, when there's a big feast. Besides wild boar, you'll find other products from the area including wine, olive oil, and honey. The festival includes people in medieval costume and medieval competitions so it's a great event even if you don't like boar.  However, I have to say the boar is delicious so you have to at least try it

Saint Barbara Day is celebrated December 4 in the Sicilian town of Paterno on the slopes of Mount Etna volcano. There is a parade after which the nativity scene is erected. Saint Barbara is the town's patron saint and the protectress of firemen and firework makers. She has been called upon many times as protection against Mount Etna's eruptions.

Perugia is a festival of music, cinema, family shows, food and crafts, December 3 through January 6 (Perugia is the capital of Umbria).

San Nicola Feast Day is celebrated December 6 in many places in the Abruzzo region with traditional loaves of bread and taralli, hard, round biscuits, often eaten with wine.

Saint Ambrogio Day is celebrated December 7 in the Sant'Ambrogio area of Milan. Saint Ambrogio is the patron saint of Milan and his day is celebrated with food and stalls with vendors set up in the neighborhood.

 

This is a Venice’s Piazza San Marco at Christmas:

 

Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, is a national holiday. There are celebrations throughout Italy and churches hold special masses. You'll find parades, feasts, and music in many places. In the Abruzzo region, it is often celebrated with bonfires and traditional singing. Although government offices and banks are closed, many stores stay open for holiday shopping.

Soul Christmas in the theaters and churches of Lake Trasimeno is a huge festival of free gospel music, December 8-January 6.

Santa Lucia Day, December 13, is celebrated in many Italian towns. One of the biggest celebrations is in Sicily where the city of Siracusa holds a huge parade carrying the saint on a golden coffin to the Church of Santa Lucia. On December 20 there is another parade to return her to the crypt. There are celebrations all week and thousands of pilgrims come to Siracusa. The festivities end with a big fireworks display over the harbor.   Just as a side-note, Siracusa was adopted for New York’s Syracuse city’s name.

Saint Stephen's Day, the day after Christmas, is a national holiday in Italy.

Panettone  - traditional Christmas treat that is wonderful for breakfast.  They have some at Lotsa Pasta and Sams Club right now.  A good way to eat this of course is by itself with a good cup of Espresso or coffee, but if you want to make something special, make it using a French toast recipe. For four slices, beat up a couple of eggs really well, add a ¼ teaspoon of salt,  add the usual milk and touch of cinnamon and put a splash of Amaretto in the mixture (optional).  Slice the Panettone into ½ inch thick slices and soak in the egg mixture until it’s completely coated.  Melt some butter on a griddle or griddle fry pan and fry until it’s a light golden brown and the edges are a little browner.  Then dust some powdered sugar on top.  This is so good – you won’t believe it.  Cut some nice orange wedges or slices on each serving plate to make it look pretty and maybe a sprig of mint if you have it for added color.  You can heat up a couple of nice slices of Kentucky ham to go with it – the salty ham is wonderful with the sweet fruit in the Panettone. 

Italian Christmas Traditions – researched and presented by Katherine M. Pulzone’

 

FIRENZE - FLORENCE

 

Every year in the historical center of the city, a variety of festive holiday events are planned to celebrate the Christmas season. Among them: a special exhibition of masterpieces by Tiziano, Boticcelli and others in the Uffizi Gallery.

Breathtaking palaces and trees are lit with twinkling lights, Pinocchio will be present to meet the kids, and a finale celebration with performances and treats for all.  Large screens in the main city piazzas will inform visitors on all the Christmas events they can enjoy.   

 

Here is a photo of the Santo Spirito church decorated for Christmas.

Countless foreigners travel to Italy during the Christmas season and are thrilled when they attend midnight mass at St. Peter’s.  Epiphany, celebrated on January 6th, is an equally if not more important holiday than December 25^th.  All-in-all, the Italians love this season so much that they commemorate it for an entire month, beginning on December 8^th.

The period between mid-December and early January was one constant celebration even in pagan Rome. It began with the Saturnalia, a winter solstice festival, and ended with the Roman New Year, the Calends. After Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity, instead of ending the holiday at the New Year, the celebrationextended to January 6 when the Three Kings were believed to have reached the infant Jesus, and so the Romans, too, began to exchange presents on the Epiphany.

Today in Italy, Christmas trees are decorated, but the focal point of decoration is the Nativity scene. Italians take great pride in the creation of the manger, which was a sort of clever publicity stunt thought up in 1223 by St. Francis of Assisi, who wanted to involve the peasants in celebrating the life of Jesus. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City possesses a presepio from Naples that contains figurines carved from wood and dressed in garments of satin, along with 30 gold-trimmed angels of the Magi, all framed by majestic columns.   I have seen persepio in Naples and in the MOMA (N.Y.) and it’s something to behold. 

Bagpipes are the most common Italian Christmas sound. The zampognari, the shepherds who play the bagpipes, come down from their mountain homes at Christmas time and perform in the market squares. The playing of bagpipes is popular in the regions of Calabria and Abruzzo, and in the piazzas of Rome. The melodies played are adapted from old hill tunes. Modern zampognari wear the traditional outfits of sheepskin vests, leather breeches, and a woolen cloak. The tradition of bagpipes goes back to ancient Roman times. Legend says that the shepherds entertained the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. Today, the zampognari perform their own private pilgrimage, stopping before every shrine to the Madonna and every Nativity scene.

 

 

                                                  Rome   

 

Children in Italy believe in a female version of Santa Claus called La Befana, an old woman who flies on a broom and brings presents. According to Italian legend, Three Wise Men asked La Befana for directions to Bethlehem. La Befana was asked to join them but declined three times. It took an unusually bright light and a band of angels to convince La Befana that she must join the Wise Men, but she was too late. She never found the Christ child and has been searching ever since. On January 6, the Feast of Epiphany, La Befana goes out on her

broom to drop off stockings filled with treats to all the sleeping children of Italy.  La Befana collects messages andrefreshments throughout the night

The period from December 24th to January 6th is one of the most celebrated in Italy (trailing only Easter, August 15th and Carnival). Everywhere you go you'll find living nativity scenes, (watch the movie “Under The Tuscan Sun” to see a live nativity) which might be comprised of a dozen local citizens around a simple campfire, or hundreds of participants from an entire region, all dressed in colorful traditional costumes and performing in elaborate life-size recreations of the Holy Manger. Here are a few local celebrations:

·         Abruzzo

o        Rivisondoli: Living Nativity Scene with hundreds of costumed figures re-enacting the arrival of the Three Kings at the manger (January 5).

·         Apulia

o        Pezze di Greco: Living Nativity Scene (December 25-January 3).

·         Calabria

o        Celico: Living Nativity Scene (December 25).

·         Friuli Venezia-Giulia

o        Tarcento: Pignarul Giant Bonfire Festival (January 6).

o        Cividale: Historical Pageant and Costume Parade (January 6).

o        Gemona: Messa del Tallero Medieval Pageant (January 6).

o        Alesso: Twenty Year Festival (December 31).

o        Resia, Cicigolis (Pulfero): La Koleda (December 31).

o        Sauris, Cicigolis, Cave del Predi: Star Festival.

o        Paularo: La Femenate Bonfire (January 6).

·         Latium

o        Greccio: Re-enactment of St. Francis Building the First Nativity Scene (Christmas Eve).

·         Liguria

o        Calizzano: Living Nativity Scene (December).

o        Roccavignale: Living Nativity Scene (December).

o        Diano Arentino: Living Nativity Scene (December).

o        Riomaggiore: Nativity Scene (December).

 

·         Lombardy

o        Milan: Epiphany Parade of the Three Kings proceeds from the Duomo to the church of Sant'Eustorgio (January 6).

·         Piedmont

o        Asti: Silver and Gold in the Night: New Year's festivities organized by neighborhood committies (December 31).

o        Alagna: Ice Nativity Scene (Christmas Eve).

o        Cessole: Living Nativity Scene with Re-Enactment of Ancient Professions, followed by hot chocolate, vin brûlé, roasted chestnuts and grappa (Christmas Eve).

o        Maranzana: Living Nativity Scene with Costumed Parade and Re-Enactment of Ancient Professions, followed by vin brûlé and roasted chestnuts (Christmas Eve).

o        Moncalvo: Santa Claus gives gifts to the children (December 22).

o        Roatto: Bonfire Celebration and Exchange of Gifts, followed by panettone, spumante and bruschetta (Christmas Eve).

o        Schierano (Passerano Marmorito): Torchlit Re-Enactment of Christmas Eve in Costume (Christmas Eve).

·         Sicily

o        Piana degli Albanesi: Greek Orthodox Ritual and Procession (January 6), incorporating traditional Albanian costumes and rituals.

o        Acireale: Living Nativity Scene (December).

·         Trentino Alto-Adige

o        Cavalese: Trial of the Witches (first week of January).

o        Tesero: The Nativity Representation (December).

·         Veneto

o        Bibione: Living Nativity Scene, Church of S.M. Assunta (December 24-25).

·         All Regions

o        In many mountain communities residents ski down the nearby slopes bearing torches, forming a blazing nighttime display.

Almost every small village stages a living nativity scene on Christmas eve, followed by midnight mass and often, distribution of food and drink.

If you are in the Gubbio area of Umbria any time between mid-December and mid-January, and you think you see a huge Christmas tree ­-  but a really huge Christmas tree, there is a massive albero di natale shaped from 450 colored lights and 12 kilometres of cable, amazingly placed all the way up the slopes of Monte Ingino, which towers above the city.  The star on top can be seen all the way from Perugia, some 50 k. away, the 800-metre high, 400-metre wide tree has been a typical yuletide feature of Gubbio since 1980. In 1991 the Guinness Book of Records named it "The World's Tallest Christmas Tree."                             

 

 

 

A Rome favorite during holiday meat roasts.

Patate al Forno

This is a traditional potato side dish in Italy and among Italian-Americans to serve with a nice roast beef, pork roast and roasted chicken.

Ingredients potatoes, rosemary, olive oil

You can leave the skins on or peel the potatoes and wash them in cold water before drying and cutting into not too large cubes or wedges but make sure however you cut them, they are all equal in size.   

Place the potatoes in a roasting tray but giving each one a little air space.  Drizzle a good olive oil over the potatoes with salt, pepper and dry rosemary crushed.  Bake at 350 degrees until tender and crusty around the edges and a little golden brown on the potato itself.  You don’t want them overcooked but you want them a little browned. 

A wonderful way to add flavor is to use the same spices but place them around your meat in the roasting pan.  Check the potatoes in case they cook ahead of your meat.  If they are done, remove them from the pan and cover on a plate with aluminum foil.  After you have removed your meat and turned the oven off, you can sit the covered plate in the oven just to warm them up while you’re slicing your meat.

ANCHOVIES – Christmas Eve fish.  Anchovies are an inexpensive fish that is robust in flavor – used on top of pizza in Italy and throughout the U.S. but on Christmas Eve, it is used in a paste, sort of a thicker pesto, over linguine as one of the fish entrée’s.  The recipe goes by preference (which is why I didn’t specify amounts) but here are the ingredients:  anchovies (if you get them in the can in olive oil, just drain the excess but at least in the can, they are already cleaned and ready to use) add in a food processor red pepper flakes, just a good pinch, and black pepper, black olives (make sure the pits are out), capers, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice.  After pulsing a few times, taste it for needed salt.  After it’s all mixed together, refrigerate for a couple of hours so all the flavors blend and cook the linguine in salted water and drain.  Then add the anchovy mixture and toss a few times.  If you think it’s too solid a paste, add more olive oil or use a ladle of the pasta water (before you drain it).  Start out with one can of anchovies and one or two cloves of garlic, half a lemon’s juice, a palm of capers, a dozen black olives and taste it. 

Remember to add enough salt to your pot of water.  If you’re making a pound of pasta, one tablespoon of salt usually is not enough.  Taste the water and make sure you can actually taste a little salt or your pasta will have no flavor.  Many restaurants make this mistake – salt is a lot less harmful when it is used in the cooking process than adding it from the table.  Besides, once you plate the pasta, it’s too late to add salt. This dish is fragrant and simple to make and began in the late 13^th century in Italy by the Cistercian monks on the Amalfi coast.  It caught on in monasteries and convents and of course the general population because it was a “poor man’s dish”.  Now of course, you’ll pay $20 a plate at a restaurant in the U.S.  I haven’t seen it here in Louisville Italian restaurants but you can certainly keep the tradition in your home.  This “anchovy pesto” can be used on toasted bread slices as an appetizer and of course, anchovies is great on cheese pizza. The monks also used it with raw and cooked vegetables.

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed some of the Christmas in Italy traditions that have been adopted here in America over the decades.  If you have traditional foods here in Louisville from your Italian background, please share them with the club members.  We love seeing pictures too!  E-Mail Katherine at KPuzo@insightbb.com

Buon Natale!