Italian traditions during the festive season
LikeHello everybody!
I am an Italian tutor, and today I´m sharing with you some of our customs in Italy relating to the festive season, so that you can learn about our culture and some of the associated vocabulary.
What is the name of the plant in my picture in Italian? It is called "Rosa di Natale" - a Christmas rose. According to tradition, it is given as a gift during the Christmas holidays. In Italy, the festive season is filled with traditions and many of them revolve around food.
In Rome, for example, where I was born, we have a meatless dinner on the evening of the 24th December, so the menu includes fish, but nothing with meat.
You are probably familiar with panettone or pandoro, two of our most popular holiday desserts. But there is much more to choose from and almost every village, town and region has its own speciality. I like to get to know the origin of these traditions and specialties as they are rooted deeply in my country's culture and habits. The origin of Panettone has been the subject of many stories, but there's one that stands out to me the most. My favourite story begins on Christmas Eve 1495 at the court of Ludovico Maria Sforza, known as Ludovico il Moro, Lord of Milan. The kitchens were in chaos, with everyone busy preparing different dishes for the festive meal. The head chef, overwhelmed by all the tasks, asked a young scullery boy named Toni to oversee the dessert. Unfortunately, Toni fell asleep and burnt the dessert. Afraid of the head chef's reaction, Toni decided to make up for his mistake. Fortunately, Toni had previously made a cake for himself and his friends using leftover bread dough and other ingredients such as eggs, butter, candied fruit, and sultanas. He decided to propose it as a dessert for the Duke's guests, and after some hesitation, the head chef agreed to serve it. The diners were impressed with the dessert, and it was nicknamed 'el pan de Toni' (“Toni’s bread) in Milanese dialect in honour of its creator. Over time, the recipe spread throughout Italy, and the name changed from 'pan de toni' to panettone. Nowadays, you can easily find Panettone in shops and supermarkets all over the world. However, be sure to check the label to ensure that you’re buying an authentic Italian Panettone!
Like panettone, pandoro's origins are uncertain. It may have originated in ancient Rome, where chef Vergilius Stephanus Senex made a "panis" with flour, flowers, butter, and oil, as recorded by Pliny the Elder in the first century AD.
And what are your country's holiday traditions?
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