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Each Christmas Eve, Philadelphians of all ages gather around family dinner tables or crowd into tiny side street restaurants to commemorate the Feast of the Seven Fishes.  The massive, multi-course meal is largely celebrated by Italian-American families, and the tradition itself is based on the Roman Catholic practice of not eating meat on Christma...

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Once upon a time, there were so many Italian relatives in my family that every table, chair and corner was occupied in my Nonna’s large kitchen. Every Christmas Eve, my grandparents’ house was bustling with laughter and sweet homemade wine poured from my grandfather’s own hand. I grew up in the late 1950s, enjoying my father’s seven siblings and fa...

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For a second year, a singer and entertainer compared to the likes of Michael Bublé and Michael Bolton is coming to Glens Falls for the holidays. Anthony Nunziata is coming back to the Charles R. Wood Theater for a one-night Christmas spectacular event. Nunziata will take the Glens Falls stage for two performances of “Anthony Nunziata: The Italian B...

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It is now superfluous to mention that food waste is one of the greatest damages of our century. Yet, never as at Christmas and on festive occasions is it good to reiterate how fundamental the role that each of us plays within the food system is. Abundant lunches and sumptuous dinners, but also snacks with panettone, pandoro, dried fruit and panfort...

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Every year, with the coming of autumn, the shortening of the days and the weather getting colder, from north to south many people keep only one thing in mind: Christmas is coming! It is a magical moment for all the enthusiasts and everything around reminds of the holidays approaching leading us from the old to the new year. We already think about g...

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I don’t remember what prompted me to bring up a Christmas song in September, but I’ll never forget the look on my husband’s face when I raised the subject of “Dominick the Donkey (The Italian Christmas Donkey).” A joyless, blank stare. “Dominick the Donkey,” I repeat emphatically, the way Samwise Gamjee says “po-tay-toes” in The Lord of the Rings. ...

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Panettone, pandoro, nougat, dried fruit and nuts: these are the unmissable Christmas treats that traditionally close the lunches or dinners on festive days. From walnuts to almonds, from hazelnuts to dates, baskets full of nuts and dried fruit are present in every Italian home at Christmastime. Simple, delectable, ancient: dried figs are a real del...

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Winter can be a good time to visit Italy if you don’t mind the cold, and possibly snowy, weather. You can often find lower air fares and get off-season hotel prices (except Christmas through January 6 in Rome, on New Year’s Eve, or Carnevale season in Venice) and there are fewer tourists so most sites and museums are less crowded. Of course if you’...

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I have heard of La Befana throughout my family and in school. I was incredibly lucky to be able to take a trip to Italy to see all my cousins there in 2018. While I was there, my zias and zios (aunts and uncles) told me stories about La Befana and what she would leave the kids. I also heard about her while in school when we did some research on oth...

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When it comes to cooking fabulous food, Italians know a thing or two. And when it comes to cooking for Christmas festivities, it's impossible to go wrong with Italian cuisine. Many Italian American families celebrate the Christmas Eve tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or Feste dei Sette Pesce. According to the Italian Sons and Daughters o...

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