Italy

Europe - Italy

Books:

The Legend of Old Befana: An Italian Christmas Story

Strega Nona

Papa Piccolo

The Clown of God


Crafts:

Leaning Tower of Pisa out of paper

Leaning Tower Mosaic

Venetian Masks

La Befana Craft

Activities:


Language/Music:

C is for Ciao: An Italy Alphabet

Italian Music via Youtube


Snacks:

CLASSIC EASY PANETTONE CAKE RECIPE





Holidays in Italy

Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox-Easter Sunday -Pasqua

Monday after Easter-Easter Monday -Lunedì dell'Angelo, Lunedì in Albis or more commonly Pasquetta

25 April - Liberation Day-Festa della Liberazione -Liberation from Fascism and Nazi occupation, 1945

1 May International Workers' Day-Festa del Lavoro (or Festa dei Lavoratori)

2 June - Republic Day -Festa della Repubblica -Birth of the Republic, 1946

15 August -Assumption Day -Assunzione (Ferragosto)

1 November - All Saints' Day -Tutti i santi (or Ognissanti)

8 December -Immaculate Conception -Immacolata Concezione (or just Immacolata)

25 December -Christmas Day -Natale

26 December -Saint Stephen's Day -Santo Stefano

Christmas

On Christmas Eve, as in the old Catholic tradition, often no food is eaten during the day as this is a fast day. The festive celebrations start after midnight mass. Nowadays, ‘Babbo Natale’, the Father Christmas, brings presents to children on Christmas eve.

But as in true Italian style, gifts are exchanged only on January 6 that is the day of Epiphany. Then ‘la befana’, an old lady, comes in search to the houses for search of the Christ Child.

Children hang up their stockings, so that the befana can bring presents to the good children. The naughty ones get lumps of black sugar sweets. The arrival of ‘La befana’ is celebrated with traditional Christmas cake, the panettone, a sweet yeast cake, you can see below.

Now we wish you ‘Buon Natale’, that means Merry Christmas in Italian.

And 'Buona Festa', have a great holiday!

(https://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/christmas-in-italy.html#:~:text=On%20Christmas%20Eve%2C%20as%20in,to%20children%20on%20Christmas%20eve.)

Epiphany(Epifania)

January 6, In Italy, Epiphany is a national holiday and is associated with the figure of the Befana (the name being a corruption of the word Epifania), a broomstick-riding old woman who, in the night between January 5 and 6, brings gifts to children or a lump of "coal" (really black candy) for the times they have not been good during the year. The legend told of her is that, having missed her opportunity to bring a gift to the child Jesus together with the Three Wise Men, she now brings gifts to other children on that night.

Easter

Easter in Italy is a huge holiday, second only to Christmas in its importance for Italians. While the days leading up to Easter include solemn processions and masses, Pasqua is a joyous celebration marked with rituals and traditions. La Pasquetta, the Monday after Easter Sunday, is also a public holiday throughout the country. Sicily has elaborate and dramatic processions. Enna holds a large event on Good Friday, with about 2,000 friars dressed in ancient costumes walking through the streets of the city. Trapani is another interesting place to see processions, held for several days during Holy Week. The Good Friday procession there, Misteri di Trapani, lasts 24 hours.

What's believed to be the oldest Good Friday procession in Italy is in Chieti in the Abruzzo region; it's very moving with Secchi's "Miserere" played by 100 violins.

Some towns, such as Montefalco and Gualdo Tadino in Umbria, hold live passion plays during the night of Good Friday. Others put on plays acting out the stations of the Cross. Beautiful torchlight processions are held in Umbria in hill towns such as Orvieto and Assisi.