BUON NATALE! My Italian Christmas centers around L’albero di Natale e Il pranzo di Natale
My mother started this tradition when we were little girls. Every year we would wake up very early and dress in a special outfit, usually red, to hop onto the express bus that deposited us right in front of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. There we would climb the steps in anticipation, buy a button and then skip behind the grand staircase, into the Medieval hallways that opened majestically into the cavernous room that displayed the Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Creche. Every year I was awestruck with a vision of splendor. Being Napoleatano it had and has special meaning. I continue this annual pilgrimage still.
Picking out our own tree was an annual sojourn. Finding the perfect tree was critical. To this day my trees have to be tall, chubby and full. The lights (luci dell’albero di natale) always multi-colored, the ornaments (palline dell’albero di natale) varied and sentimental with silver tinsel as the final dressing. Our own Nativity creche (presepio) nestled below in an undulating sea of red velvet and pine needles. An Angel always set atop to look over us and keep us safe and warm. Annual viewings of "White Christmas" (hence, my ongoing love affair with songs sung by Rosemary Clooney) were mandatory. Today decorating the tree is a festive occasion of Medieval and Renaissance holiday songs and red wine. A Classic Italian canzone di Natale- www.youtube.com/user/CoccoleSonore
Our Italian Christmas was focused around food and family.
Xmas Eve (la vigilia di Natale) was dedicated to fish: shrimp appetizers, baked clams, bacala, broiled cod, drowned broccoli rabe better known as Christmas broccoli and i dolci -chocolate biscotti and cartellate and the tall cupola-shaped panettone. Midnight Mass (la messa di mezzanotte) with friends or at home watching Il Papa in Rome, and then, opening gli regali, the presents.
At last, Christmas Day and Il pranzo di Natale (the Christmas day meal). It started with our own traditional antipasti of soppressatta, sharp provolone, roasted red peppers, olives, artichokes, mozzarella and bread sticks. Then a broth consisting of pasta, cappelletti in brodo, little hats stuffed with chopped meats. Next, most people have turkey but our house was reserved for the Christmas lasagna stuffed with over 100 tiny meatballs, accompanied by hand rolled braesola. To this day, friends, neighbors and family clamor for my mother's recipe as it has been handed down to me. (A guarded family secret) +(2).jpg)
Again, demitasse coffee and i dolci ---
struffoli (Neapolitan honey pastry); cenci (fried pastry ribbons sprinkled with powered sugar); dried figs, candied almonds, and chestnuts.
Being also Calabrese, my father would recite the following children's rhyme from when he was a boy in the mountains of Serrapedace.
La filastrocca di Natale
Babbo Natale viene di notte, Father Christmas comes at night;
viene in silenzio a mezzanotte. He comes in silence at midnight
Dormono tutti i bimbi buoni All the good children are sleeping
e nei lettini sognano i doni. In their beds they dream of gifts.
Babbo Natale vien fra la neve Father Christmas comes in the snow
porta i suoi doni là dove deve. He carries the gifts where they must go.
Non sbaglia certo: He never makes a mistake.
conosce i nomi di tutti He knows all the names
quanti i bimbi buoni. Of all the good children.
un Natale pieno di amore, pace e felicità
and don't forget a 5 mile run to work it all off.
More info at: www.imdb.me/joannabonaro
and
Sojourn for your eyes and soul:
*The Metropolitan Museum of Art displays 18th-century Neapolitan crèche figures collected by Loretta Hines Howard and gifted to the museum with a Christmas Tree - until January 8, 2012. Lighting ceremonies on Tues., Wed., Thurs. & Sat. at 4:30pm and Frid. & Sun. at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30pm www.mma.org
