That of the nativity scene is a tradition strongly rooted in the culture and society of Italy. It is considered to date back to year 1223, when San Francesco is credited to have created in the village of Greccio the “presepe” by reconstructing the nativity scene with living animals and real people. The first known nativity, with reconstruction of t...

You want clear lights on the tree, I think multi-colored are prettier; you prefer ham on the holiday table, I say turkey is tastier; you rock out to modern Christmas carols, I sway to the oldies; you insist on a Panettone for dessert…wait, what?? Oh, no – only a Pandoro will do!  And thus it begins…the Italian Christmas cake face-off. The solution...

A great big Buon Natale to all of our paisani out there because this is Part One of the Italian American Power Hour Christmas Eve Spectacular!  Join the Fab Five (and some of their spouses) as we sit down for a very special pre-Christmas Eve fish feast and dig into the ins and outs of what makes the Italian American Christmas Eve fish feast so spec...

Christmas is a wonderful holiday.  As I grew up, this was always evident and proven year after year in our loving Italian-American family. Most importantly was the religious aspect of Christmas, where we celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by attending mass and receiving Holy Communion. Our little church, Our Lady of Loreto, at...

During the bustle of the holidays, with mounting pressure to create the perfect Christmas experience, Irene Salvatore shared her Christmas poem with the members of Cortland Place assisted living and rehabilitation center as a reminder of the season’s meaning. The 83-year old mother of three wrote “The Nativity” last Christmas season when she saw ho...

E' alto un metro e mezzo, ha un diametro di 115 centimetri e pesa 332,2 chili. E' il panettone più grande del mondo - come certificato dal Guinness World Records - realizzato a Milano dal maitre chocolatier ed ex-allievo del Capac (la scuola di formazione di Confcommercio Milano) Davide Comaschi, oggi direttore del Chocolate Academy Center Milano....

On Dec. 5, the Order of Sons of Italy in America Peter B. Gay Lodge #540 hosted its 13th annual holiday party for consumers and staff at CO-OP, a local nonprofit agency supporting individuals with developmental and other disabilities. The party kicked off with holiday music provided by Taunton High School Seven O’Clock Jazz Band followed by lunch f...

My Christmas is going to be very special. I just moved into a new apartment, in an old building that sits just beside one of the town churches. On the stairs that lead to my place, there is a little, wooden door you wouldn’t even notice unless you knew it’s there, as it has been painted the same color as the walls. Well, if you open that little doo...

If you’re an American of Italian descent, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with this mid-20th century masterpiece of Christmas kitsch. Recorded by Lou Monte in the late 1950s, “Dominic the Donkey” tells the tale of a little donkey with a heart of gold who helps Santa traverse the many hills of Italy, where the reindeer cannot tread. The song w...

“The Grinch came last night and stole Christmas from 9th Street,” said Amber Volpe. Volpe, with the Visitor’s Center at the Italian Market is referencing an incident that occurred December 15, just after 12:15 a.m. A man is seen in surveillance video walking away with a portion of the nativity scene near the intersection of 9th and Catharine Street...