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Italian American Life - Frank Di Piero - Buon Natale

Click the photo for Frank’s Christmas Cookie Recipes

Buon Natale from Phil – Italy Cultural Exchanges

Buon Natale and warm holiday wishes to you and your loved ones. At this special time of year, we celebrate not only the joy of Christmas, but the deep traditions, family bonds, and sense of belonging that define Italian culture. From the glow of the presepe to the gathering of generations around the table, Christmas reminds us of the importance of roots, heritage, and shared history.

Phil~Italy Cultural Exchanges was created to build meaningful bridges between Italy and those who feel a connection to its land, people, and traditions. This past year, we have been grateful to share authentic experiences that go beyond tourism—experiences that honor local communities, ancestral towns, and the living culture that continues to shape Italy today.

May this Christmas bring you peace, reflection, and the warmth of famiglia, wherever you may be. We look forward to continuing this journey together in the year ahead.
Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo, Phil Micali

PHILITALY.CO 

Buon Natale da Salerno, Italia - Antonia Sparano - Salerno Walking Tours

Ciao a tutti. This year marks my seventh Natale in my adopted country. Salerno is a small town, much like where I grew up in NY. But the similarity stops there. 

In this small town, it’s full of the vibrancy of Southern Italy: loud dialogue everywhere, theatrical street conversations including all the gesticulating you can’t imagine, motorini whirring around corners so close your felt a cool breeze in the summer, wonderful cooking smells coming from the apartments and gourmet takeout rosticcerie (grilled takeout foods) so enticing you don’t to ever want cook again.  And let’s not forget the bakeries year round but especially at Easter and Christmas.  

Natale in Italia is not nearly as commercial as in The States. The apartment windows are mostly not lit up but go into a bakery (una pasticceria) or any supermarket or gourmet shop and you’ll see boxes on top of boxes of all different kinds of pannetone (a tall cake made with various beautifully designed paper and  ingredients like candied fruit (the Classico) chocolate, coffee, pistachio, cinnamon, lemon..the list goes on…

These pannetone at Christmas time are the staple of every household whether you cut a slice for your daily breakfast (yes, sugar for breakfast in all its glorious forms can be found in every pantry-cookies, plum cake, cornetti and of course pannetone.) Sunday morning pastry lines can rival any Broadway ticket line on a Saturday night. If you’re going to have lunch at family or friends’ homes during the holiday season you most certainly would be bringing a giant platter of cookies and/or pastries from your favorite pasticceria. 

The festivities in Salerno kick off around the middle of November (along with daily Black Friday sales) with store decorations and workers in cherry pickers setting up the street lights for our Luci di Artista. The designs are supplied by local artists and Salerno is known throughout Italy for this festival. We have thousands of visitors who come for the day or stay in a bnb for a couple of nights to take it all in, packing the streets with shoppers and strollers alike. 

This year the dazzling lights celebrating nature are enchanting to see like the enormous roaring dinosaurs in the villa comunale (our local little park) complete with audio, giant flowers in the gardens and up in the trees, dancing jellyfish against an incredible spray of tiny blue lights like stars watching over the sea. My street has beach waves-no boring Santas here. 

Of course we can’t forget the food. My most memorable dinner was my first year in Salerno on New Year’s Eve or Cappodanno. Several courses of meat, fish and pasta were m served followed by a fireworks show the likes of which I’ve never seen in my life. The party was high up on the hill where we could look down and see the entire city including the bay. The fireworks seemed to be orchestrated in a way that each neighborhood had their own show and when they were finished the next neighborhood displayed theirs. As a result the show last for about two hours of constant rockets shooting into the sky for a spectacular show. But back to food. At midnight the traditional lentil soup was served to offer good luck throughout the new year. 

And to top it all off, we have a giant Christmas tree, that in my opinion could rival Rockefeller Center. I get to look at it during this celebratory season while I do my shopping and run errands, and meeting friends for aperitivi or coffee. 

Lucky me-living in Italy AND being here for Christmas. 

Maybe I’ll see you here marveling at the lights or having a hot chocolate in a cafe that’s actually the consistency of chocolate pudding. Heavenly. 

I’ll close this with the sound of a local guy playing the vintage bagpipes throughout the neighborhoods. Instead of Rock Around the Clock, it sounds like he’s playing a traditional holiday song that was maybe once played by the shepherds in the countryside.  

Merry Christmas to you all and come visit Salerno. We’re the last southern stop on the Amalfi coast…a step back in time that’s mixed with modern culture and art on the edge. Buon Capodanno.

To book a tour contact me on Facebook - Salerno Walking Tours

Check out Ed’s blog - edwrites.net 

The World Needs Lentils 

In many cultures, the New Year is celebrated as a noteworthy event. Whether tied to religion or rituals, the festivities frequently include prayer and traditions; customs that hope to bring prosperity and its resources. And the ritual hopes to banish bad luck. 

Some years ago, we traveled to Umbria and the Italian hill town of Castelluccio near Norcia in the Apennine Mountains. The peaceful village is situated above the plain. As we ascended above the tree line, we looked up at people hang gliding over lush valleys filled with red poppies, yellow rapeseed, and acres of bushy, pale blue lentils. Yes, lentils. The town is famous for its outstanding production. 

As we squeezed our car through one of the narrow lanes, we had to stop to move in reverse, and, as we did, a lovely elderly lady opened her door to offer us a bag of lentils. A gift. How could we not accept her smile, her joy, her pride, her present? I was so excited about receiving her offer. Why? Well, the offer, but more. When I was a kid, I was not fond of lentils; nowadays, I savor them. 

I think of that lady and that beautiful village of one hundred and fifty inhabitants at New Year because of the Italian custom that reveres lentils. New Year's Day is celebrated with those lens-shaped, high-protein, high-fiber legumes that symbolize hoped-for prosperity. They represent little coins and monetary gain; the more lentils, the more coins one might 

realize in the year to come. And the plumping during the cooking process links them to swelling wealth throughout the year. And they denote a symbolic sense of unity, hope, and optimism; woefully lacking in so many parts of our world. 

Like other legumes (black-eyed peas, green peas, chickpeas, beans), they have been associated with good luck and protection in various cultures. Some believe that they can ward off evil spirits and negative energy. How universal a symbol of hope this simple legume can be. And we should embrace this sign of promise. 

The New Year will come. With enthusiasm and expectation, let us try to engender optimism for prosperity and good health. Let us think of peace, good health, and kindness. 

Consider offering lentils or something similar with the simplicity and humility so beautifully displayed by the lady in the village. It will make a difference. It will bring some hope and joy. 

I love this final stanza from Helen Hunt Jackson’s poem, 

New Year’s Morning 

Only a night from old to new; 

Only a sleep from night to morn. 

The new is but the old come true; 

Each sunrise sees a new year born 

Transitioning to a new year is a time for reflection. Make the lentil your symbol of a fresh beginning for you and others in our fractured world. 

Have the lentil represent food, shelter, and good behavior for humankind and serve them with love and kindness. 

Offer lentils this year. The world needs them.

Merry Christmas from Kate Kelley “The Photo Angel”

It all began with a pile of labeled photos of non-relatives that were mixed in with my grandparents’ old family pictures. Were they friends? Classmates? War buddies? Neighbors? I was determined to find out. 

So I started poking around genealogy websites and BINGO! I immediately began connecting with relatives of the photographed. Now I’m hooked! I love to visit antique stores to thumb through their pictures in my quest to find those that are labeled so that I may return them to their family members. One woman affectionately dubbed me, “The Photo Angel” which was just so sweet.

The purpose of this project is to document success stories and inspire others to search their dusty attic boxes for photos with identifiable information and join in the fun! Happy Hunting! 

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Merry Christmas from Maria Theresa Quaranta

I’m thrilled to introduce my new holiday-themed financial literacy book, written in English, Italian, and Napolitano, designed especially for bilingual families, educators, and young learners. 🎄📚✨

This book is part of my mission with Piccolo Futuro, my Westchester-based educational venture dedicated to teaching Italian to children with Autism and learning differences. As a special education teacher, I wanted to create a story that brings together what I care about most:

Set during the magic of the Italian holiday season, the story introduces children to:

• Basic money concepts like saving, spending, and giving

• Real Italian cultural traditions—from festive treats to family rituals

• Three languages at once (English, Italian, and Napulitano), helping kids build vocabulary naturally

• Empowering lessons about independence, responsibility, and making thoughtful choices

The book follows a warm, playful narrative inspired by Naples, its markets, its colors, and its holiday spirit. Children learn through everyday scenarios—woven into scenes of family, community, and celebration.

🎁 A Holiday Keepsake

With its festive illustrations and focus on both heritage and practical skills, this book makes a meaningful gift for:

• Bilingual families

• Italian heritage communities

• Teachers, speech therapists, and special educators

• Parents supporting language learning at home

• Anyone who wants to introduce financial literacy in a child-friendly way

🌍 Available in the U.S. and Italy

👉 https://piccolofuturo.com/shop/ols/products/mariiii-doll

Grazie mille for helping Piccolo Futuro grow! 🇮🇹❤️✨

A Rosetan Christmas Blessing from Italy 🇮🇹✨

From my heart — and from my little mountain village of Roseto Valfortore       

I want to wish everyone a Christmas filled with love, connection, and the joy of family gathered around the table.

As we celebrate the beautiful traditions passed down through our Italian ancestors…
as we cook the recipes they carried across oceans…
and as we gather with the people we love…
may we remember what truly sustained our communities for generations:

Heritage, Faith and Family— the original Roseto Effect.

My wish for you this Christmas is simple:
✨ May your meals bring connection, your hearts find joy, and your heritage guide you back to what matters most.

Con tanto affetto,
Dorina Lantella
Roseto Valfortore, Italy
Dorina’s Kitchen • Reviving The Roseto Effect 

And from Pasquale too!  

Here’s a little Christmas recipe for you too!!!

https://youtu.be/GcYTf5aD3k8?si=TZLPxpamkDNcUpUO 

Dorina’s Kitchen -Roseto Effect Tours

Live the Italy Your Ancestors Remember

Whether your roots are in Roseto, or in any small Southern Italian town, you share the same legacy — community, connection, and life around the table.

Join me on a trip to Roseto Valfortore in Puglia and experience:
• Real village life
• Shared meals and traditions
• Cooking with Mammas and Nonnas
• The warmth of true Italian community

• and much, much more!

You’ll live the way ALL of our grandparents once lived.
This is the Roseto Effect — and it belongs to every Italian family.

Contact Dorina for more information, +1-301-917-4727 on WhatsApp

[email protected]

Or check out www.dorinaskitchen.com

 Dorina Lantella

Mamma, Chef, Coach

Dorina's Kitchen/Roseto Effect Workshops/Retreats

Getting families Back to the Table &

Reviving the Roseto Effect!

www.dorinaskitchen.com

www.rosetoeffect.org 

1.301.917.4727 

(Phone or WhatsApp)

Find Dorina's Kitchen at the links below!

My Stan Store!

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Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2 

"Non dimenticate l'ospitalità verso gli stranieri, perché alcuni, praticandola, senza saperlo hanno ospitato degli angeli."
Ebrei 13:2

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