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In the English-speaking world, it is known as Yule Log, in Italy, we know it as il ceppo di Natale.  It is so popular that it even made it into our translation of Harry Potter and it has inspired one of France’s most popular Christmas desserts. Many Italians believe that il ceppo di Natale is a British tradition, perhaps because of our national hab...

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While Italy’s cast of Christmas characters includes some very familiar figures — Babbo Natale (Santa), naturally, and La Befana, the frumpy Christmas witch who broom-zooms around the country delivering gifts on Epiphany Eve — more obscure (and bizarre) traditions decorate the Italian landscape at Christmastide. Here’s a look at some lesser-known cu...

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I was born and raised on the East Coast and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and I am 100 percent Italian. My family immigrated from Naples, Italy, and I am a first-generation American. I love the holidays and have some great memories and traditions because my big Italian family would get together and have a great time. I’m talking of all my aunts, u...

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In Italy, holiday traditions are deeply intertwined with drinks culture, intersecting as a means of connection and sharing. “Many Italians live outside their hometown for work and return for the holidays, so getting together for drinks before or after big family meals is a daily ritual,” says author and Italian culture expert Katie Parla. Although...

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Christmastime in Italy (and, of course, in Italian America) wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of the Presepio, the lovingly crafted Nativity Scene. And for centuries, generations of artisans in the city of Napoli have been heralded for creating the world’s finest Presepi. But, in the heart of Brooklyn’s famed Dyker Heights neighborhood, th...

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December is time for nativity scenes, and among the most striking ones is the Massa Martana Ice Nativity, staged from Dec. 24 to Jan. 8, 2023 at the 19th Edition of Presepi d'Italia - National Nativity Exhibition. Made in the province of Perugia, the Ice Nativity will pay homage to one of the best-known works by the great Umbrian painter known as P...

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The atmosphere of Christmas, in Sicily, can be felt in the air as early as mid-November. The streets are colored with lights, store windows are filled with decorations, objects and gastronomic delights, panettone and colorful baskets. In Sicilian villages, markets attract people from all over the island and the world, amid the inviting scents of sw...

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Are YOU part of the Struffoli Squad? These beloved Neapolitan confections, deep fried and coated in a sticky sweet sheen of freshly warmed honey, are often considered an essential part of an Italian American Christmas, but for this week’s guest, they’re special enough to earn the title of “show stopper.” Annie Petito is one of the incredibly talent...

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If you think the holidays call for an extravagant meal to be shared with loved ones, the Feast of the Seven Fishes will not disappoint. This Italian-American culinary celebration occurs every Christmas Eve and involves cooking seven different types of fish and seafood. In the early 1900s, the feast was created as a way for families to partake in th...

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Out of over 750 million bottles of Prosecco each year a little over 100 of them is actually Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene DOCG. So what is the main difference? It is still produced with the Glera variety, the majority of it is a tank method sparkling usually brut -or the slightly sweeter version extra-dry- just like Prosecco DOC, but it must be...

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