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Christmas in Italy There are several important holidays that Italians celebrate during the Christmas season (periodo di Natale), which begins on December 8th with L’Immacolata and ends on January 6th with L’Epifania. The feast of Santa Lucia on December 13th is also an important holiday in northern Italy. This saint day is celebrated with candles, special pastries and presents for children who have been good during the year. See the table below for a list of the important celebrations that take place in Italy during the Christmas season and some common phrases that Italians use to wish each other “happy …

Christmas is a time for celebration, but how we celebrate has changed over the centuries. How do you celebrate Christmas? Do you embrace the more secular version embodied by Santa Claus with his big bag of presents, or the more religious one in which gifts are given in recognition of God’s gift to us of His Son Jesus Christ? One tradition I embrace is the Christmas story told by Mario Avignone, the founder of this column. Fr. Pierini asked him decades ago to start writing Petals as a way of keeping Roseland alive in our hearts. In my 13 years …

The cinepanettone genre of Italian cinema emerged in the 1980s with Carlo and Enrico Vanzina’s 1983 “Vacanze di Natale” (Christmas Holidays), a slapstick comedy set on the ski slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo in northern Italy. The film follows two families of different classes whose worlds intertwine while on vacation. Among the all-star cast are Christian De Sica and Stefania Sandrelli. The film did remarkably well at the box office and set an annual precedent for films featuring outrageous situations set at resort-type locations during Christmastime. De Sica continued as the main protagonist pairing up with actor Massimo Boldi. The term, …

Even with the more dangerous delta variant causing a rise in COVID infections, it’s still possible for you to safely search for the perfect home. Here are some rules to follow: First and foremost, protect yourself. By initiating your search online, you can get a glimpse of a property right from your living room. This way, you can safely learn if you want to know more. The key is knowing what to look for and noticing what may be hiding. The online photos are meant to grab your attention and highlight the home’s best features. Open floor plans, updated appliances …

This is the month of Thanksgiving and there is much to be thankful for, but I’d like to focus my gratitude on the Pullman National Monument. If you’ve been paying attention to anything having to do with Pullman, you’re aware by now of the great news coverage of the grand opening that took place over Labor Day weekend. Two days of public festivities and one day of speeches by dignitaries gave everyone from near and far the opportunity to celebrate the new National Park Service Visitor Center. For those who may have missed the information or photos, what we’ve always …

The Italian verb tenere has a wide range of meanings and its use lends a bit of sophistication to one’s Italian. It is important to “keep in mind” the nuances of the verb tenere to create sentences as we would in our native language. The Italian verb tenere is most often translated into English as “to hold” or “to keep.”  It can be used in a simple way, to describe holding an object or holding another’s hand. As in English, the verb tenere can also mean “to hold,” with reference to capacity, as in how many objects or people can occupy …

Born in 1930, Arturo Zavattini is known for his work as a photographer, cinematographer and director of photography. His father, Cesare Zavattini, was a longtime collaborator of Federico Fellini and Vittorio De Sica, and Arturo practically grew up on film sets. He worked as an assistant and camera operator on famous Italian films such as “Il bidone,” “La dolce vita” and “Divorce Italian Style.” He also worked as an ethnographic photographer, accompanying anthropologist Ernesto de Martino on his famous expedition to Lucania in 1952. Being a teenager in Rome during the post-war years, Zavattini was influenced by the neorealist movement …

Month in and month out, I’ve been telling people to visit Pullman for one event or another, but in this column, I have more than one happening to entice you with. Three events that were waylaid by the pandemic have either made their return this year or are slated to do so: the annual Pullman Picnic, the St. Anthony Dinner Dance and the Pullman House Tour. The Pullman Picnic was held in the beginning of August and those in attendance had a great time. It was one of those 90-degree days made just a bit cooler by the canopy I …

Italy’s thrilling victory over England at the UEFA EURO 2020 soccer championship this past July sparked a week-long, country-wide celebration.  Why not learn a few terms used to describe a sport that Italians are crazy about? Calcio, as the Italians call this popular sport, is derived from the verb calciare, which means “to kick.”If you’re in a soccer league here in the United States or you just like watching it at home, knowing a few Italian words and phrases will certainly add to the excitement of being involved in this Italian passion! Soccer — a brief history of the game  …

In a moving story that spans several decades, “The Macaluso Sisters” follows five orphaned sisters born and raised in an apartment located on the outskirts of Palermo. They support themselves by renting out pigeons for events. Directed by Emma Dante, who adapted the film from her own 2014 play by the same name, the all-female cast interprets the story in three chapters that show how the tragic events of a single day can follow a family through childhood, adulthood and into old age. The first chapter reveals the tragedy of the youngest sister, Antonella, dying during a beach outing. She …