La Festa di San Silvestro e Il Capodanno. Italians love festivals and the ending of the old year and beginning of the new year, il capodanno, is a great time to celebrate in Italy. New Year's Eve in Italy - La Festa di San Silvestro La Festa di San Silvestro is celebrated December 31 on New Year's Eve. As with most Italian festivals, food plays a major role. Families and friends get together for a huge feast. The star of the dinner is lentils, symbolizing money and good fortune for the coming year. Traditionally, the dinner in many parts of Italy also includes a cotechino, a large spiced sausage, or a zampone, stuffed pig's trotter. The pork symbolizes the richness of life in the coming year
It's so difficult and time-consuming to prepare, that for 300 years only the women of a single Sardinian family knew how to make it. Paola Abraini, 62, wakes up at 7 am every day to prepare the pasta (Credit: Eliot Stein) click on picture “Many people say that I have a secret I don’t want to reveal,” Abraini told me, smiling. “But the secret is right in front of you. It’s in my hands.” Su filindeu is made by pulling and folding semolina dough into 256 perfectly even strands with the tips of your fingers, and then stretching the needle-thin wires diagonally across a circular frame in an intricate three-layer pattern. It’s so difficult and time-consuming to prepare that for the past 200 years
The site's last major eruption happened over the course of a week in 1538, when it expelled enough new material to create the cinder cone mountain Monte Nuovo. Read article HERE.
Does the name “Panettone” derive from Pan de Toni? According to tradition, Toni, lowly scullion at the service of Ludovico il Moro, was the inventor of one of the most typical sweet of the Italian tradition. On Christmas Eve, the chef of the Sforza burned the cake prepared for the feast. Toni decided to offer the mother yeast that he had kept aside for himself for Christmas. He kneaded it several times with flour, eggs, sugar, raisins and candied fruit, until obtaining a soft and leavened dough. The result was a great success and Ludovico il Moro called it Pan de Toni to honor its inventor. Read More
Today, Tony De Luca, President of IAC of Lansing, delivered a box filled with hats, gloves and scarves to the Children's Home at St. Vincent Catholic Charities. These donated items were collected through the generosity of its members, at last Sunday's Christmas Party. As part of the mission of the IAC of Lansing is to help those less fortunate and in need of assistance, we hope these donated items will warm their hearts and make a brighter Christmas for many children. The IAC of Lansing throughout the past years has supported various charities in the greater Lansing area.
It was such an exciting time, getting up every morning, counting out the remaining days to Christmas. As a five year old, Turin was a magical city, full of lights and chestnut vendors, it seemed, almost at every corner. You could smell the roasting aroma as soon as you walked out the door. I remember snow came early that year and it was, indeed, a white Christmas. Santa would arrive and going to sleep on Christmas Eve was truly a frustrating experience. I wanted to see Babbo Natale but, sleep won the battle. The following morning, there it was. A huge box with a note from Santa to me! I wanted my parents to wake up so I could open it, but I would have to wait. It was nail-biting time b
Press Release - English synopsis Italian citizen resident abroad having the right to vote are 4,052,431 of whom 1,251,728 voted, corresponding to 30.98%. These numbers show that there is a strong tie between expatriates and the mother country. This is proof that there is a lot of validity to allowing expatriates to vote, contrary to all of those and the press who would like to abolish this right. We all need to be reminded that voting abroad is a constitutional right.
The Italian American Club of Lansing (IAC) held its Annual Christmas Party on Sunday, December 4th, at Guerrazzi's Restaurant. As in the past, the event was well attended and everyone had a grand time. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus (Babbo Natale e la sua sposa) made a gracious appearance to the delight of all, especially the children who received toys and various gifts that made their hearts soar. The food - being a sacrosanct tradition at any Italian feast - was prepared by Guerrazzi's chefs to the delight of everyone who enjoyed the fare of pasta, Italian-style chicken, meatballs, and delicious desserts. Plenty of hats, mittens, and scarves were collected at the event to benefit the Children's
