La Voce The Newsletter of the Italian American Club of Boise www.iacboise.org

The Italian American Club of Boise DECEMBER 2020

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Buon Natale —Merry to all members of the Italian American Club of Boise. This will be my final greet-

ing to you as President, so I want to say thank you for your support of our club during this difficult year. My hope is

that each of us, along with our extended families, experience the joy of this season despite the personal and public

health challenges still before us.

One way we can better celebrate Christmas is to view it as a season instead of just one day, and to focus less on the commercial aspects and more on the more traditional religious and seasonal components.

In Italy, the Christmas season lasts about one month, starting on December 8th and extending through January 6th. Depending on the region and even village in Italy from which you take your traditions, the days in between are filled with specific festivals and celebrations that can be unique to a particular area.

The Christmas season begins on December 8th, and is referred to in Italian as the “Immacolata” because it honors the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the mother of . This day begins a cycle of preparation for the birth of Jesus by reminding people that Mary, his earthly mother, was herself chosen for this role in a special way at her own conception. By extension, it becomes a time for us prepare our homes for Christmas by setting up a , called the “Presepe” in Italian, and in more modern times a . It is said that Saint Francis of Assisi created the first Nativity Scene in the year 1223 in a cave of a local monastery. Curiously, in modern times, it can be a day of housecleaning, hanging of lights, and other Christmas preparations. Since 1981 Italy hosts the world’s biggest Christmas tree. It is a lighting illumination in the shape of a Christmas tree, and installed annually on the slopes of Mount Ingino (Monte Ingino) outside the town of Gubbio, in Umbria. The tree consists of thou- sands of multi-colored lights creating a shape 2,130 feet high and more than 200 feet wide.

Depending on the region of Italy you come from, the “Presepe” can consist of small, hand-carved figurines that may be handed down in a family for many decades. In some areas the “Presepe” consists of more than just a traditional nativity crib with the Holy Family and baby Jesus in the stable. Some families build an entire scene of their particular village consisting of hand-made houses, bridges and shops, using cork to create mountains, to which electrically powered wells and lights are added. Shops and stalls with their accessories, as well as household items, exotic animals and even caricatures of politicians and celebrities for a given year are common add-ons. Baby Jesus is only added to the scene on Christmas night. It is, for Italians, one of the most beloved and enduring symbols and activities of the Christmas season.

Either side of December 8th are various feast and celebration days that different regions of Italy observe. For example, December 6th marks the feast of of Bari (“san Nicola di Bari) the patron saint of literally dozen of southern Italian towns where Eastern Orthodox traditions are strong. Americans know St. Nicholas as the model for our secular . In Sicily and Naples December 13th marks the feast of Santa Lucia.

The two most important days of the Christmas season are December 24th, “La Vigilia” () and December 25th “Natale” (Christmas Day). Though the two days are adjacent they are purposely marked by differ- ences. In Italy, Christmas Eve usually consists of a family dinner, the “cenone”, which usually excludes meat and can be based on fish dishes of various kinds. All sorts of breads and candied fruits are featured for dessert. During this time the youngest members of the family are asked to present memorized prayers, speeches, and recitals to the oldest members of the family. After all of this the entire family would march to the church for .

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It is common to sleep late the next morning, December 25th. Because Christmas Day dinner is THE most important Christmas family tradition in Italy, the women of a family typically rise early to begin preparation of the elaborate dinner. While Christmas Eve’s dinner was meatless, Christmas Day features a roast of some kind. The sweets and breads continue as dessert offerings.

Following the two days of Christmas celebration it is fortunate that December 26th is a national holiday in Italy! Whether by design or luck the day honors the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen “santo Stefano”.

The Christmas season in Italy culminates on January 6th with the feast of the “Epifania” a time when children traditionally received their presents. It honors the three wise men who encounter Jesus in his manger and bring gifts to honor him. Today, though, gift giving is often connected with “Babbo Natale” and/or “La ”, two secular characters gaining in popularity throughout Italy and now associated with gift giving earlier in the season, such as on December 6th, the feast of St. Nicholas. Although Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) and giving gifts on Christmas Day are becoming more and more popular, children traditionally had to wait until Epiphany to receive their presents.

Paul Zelus, President

From Your Board of Directors

Your Board met for the final time in 2020 on Monday, November 23rd. Traditionally there is no Board meeting held in December. We certified the results of the recent election, with a total of 74 votes cast by mailed ballot. Thanks to each member who voted in our election.

This was the final meeting for retiring President Paul Zelus and at-large Board member Grace Bessone. Returning in 2021 will be current Treasurer Greg Carlson (as President), current at-large member Ellen Spencer (as Vice President), current and continuing Recording Secretary Diana Maionchi, and current at-large members Constance Capobianco, Gino Pilato, and Jennifer Pitino. Catherine Carter-Goldston will join the Board as Treasurer. Also joining the Board in 2021 will be newly elected members at-large Kim Clutts, Diana Parker, and Rosalie Skefich.

And please welcome new members Erena Lanza and Maria Kusar !

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Club Telephone Directory — December Update Want to contact a fellow member? Be sure to have the latest IAC Member Phone Directory at your disposal. A revised Phone Directory will be sent out via email in mid-December, so watch for it. Be sure to save it to your computer or print it out for easier access. If you wish to obtain another member’s mailing or email address, please call that person on the phone and ask them for their contact information.

Festival of Trees Postponed Our club's entry in last year’s St. Alphonsus Festival of Trees competition took Second Place in the nonprofessional category and contributed to the $650,000 raised to help women who live in rural areas of our region receive life-saving screenings and care. Festival proceeds from 2019 purchased a NEW mobile mammography coach with 3D imaging as well as upgrade the current coach with 3D technology. This year Cori Niehoff, Donna Naggi, and Catherine Carter-Goldston started early in March with plans for a 2020 tree, but due to COVID-19 the Festival of Trees has been cancelled for this year. If you may be interested in assisting with next year’s effort, contact one of the above ladies to indicate your interest and willingness to help.

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Pronto... Chi Parla?

This month I would like to explore the way Italians answer the telephone. Like most things Italian, the deeper you get into a subject the more variety and less clear the issue seems to get. Each person I talk to about answering the phone the “Italian Way” has their own peculiar story about how THEY were taught, so I am not trying to suggest that there ever was, (or is now), one best way to use the phone in Italy. The first part of this article centers around use of the greeting “pronto” versus the more familiar “hello”; while the second part deals with the rules and habits for continuing a telephone conversation in Italian.

Why do Italians always say “pronto” when answering the phone? Literally, the word means “ready”, and it is often stated with some force or emphasis, disarming those not familiar with this greeting. I have found two different theories to explain where this curious greeting came from. The first theory takes us back to the early years of the telephone when, in order to make a call, you had to go through a switchboard and talk to an operator who would then connect you with the person you were calling. When a line became available in those early days, and the conversation could start, the Italian operator would say “collegamento è pronto”, “the line is ready.” Old timers say that you would often have to wait a long time for that all clear signal, and sometimes people simply hung up after growing tired of waiting. In time, when operators were no longer used, the single word “pronto” survived as the way everyone answered the phone. It became almost a celebration of the progress made – a way of saying “no more waiting!”. In Italy, ALL long long-distance calls were required to go through an operator until the year 1970, well within the memory of the older generation today.

A second theory about the use of “pronto” involves the military. After its invention, telephones in Italy were used almost exclusively by members of the army and by government officials. For example, the first phone connection in Milan took place between the Fire Station and City Hall. In this context saying “pronto” when first picking up the ringing phone made a lot of sense. It also explains the tendency of many Italians to convey a firm and commanding tone when saying it today, and in some phrase manuals the term is followed by an exclamation mark to convey the emphasis, as in “pronto!”

While we can debate the origins of the Italian greeting “pronto”, the word itself can convey some- thing a bit different than a simple “ready” from the American tourist’s point of view. This may explain why Americans are so confused about that Italian phone greeting. For many Americans “pronto” has a ring of urgency, impatience, and even rudeness about it, conveying the opposite of the expected warm and friendly “hello”. Remember the old TV westerns in which the loyal sidekick always said “pronto” when waving his gun at the captured desperado, and as a child, when someone in authority wanted you to do something immediately, without delay, they would say “do it pronto”. Thus, when the tourist nervously inquires about his hotel reservation, and is greeted by a firm “pronto”, he feels confronted, becomes tongue tied, and just hangs up in embarrassment.

No other country or language seems to use an equivalent to the Italian “pronto” greeting. Italy stands out from the rest of Europe — and indeed the world — when it comes to answering the phone. From England to Germany, France, and Spain, people say the more familiar “hello” when answering a call. Each country seems to have evolved its own specialized alternatives, however. In Britain, Ireland, and Germany people answer by automatically saying their phone number or their surname. In the Netherlands people state both their surname and first name, while Rus- sians use the French “allo” or, simply, “da”, meaning “yes”. In Spain, many use “diga,”, “tell me”, along with “hola”. Outside of Europe the “hello” form is is just translated into the home language

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In China they say “wey,” and in Japan “moshi moshi,” both of which mean hello.

Why is “hello” the most common way to answer the phone all over the world? The answer has a lot to do with American influence, both historically and through its cultural influence across the world throughout the 20th century. When Alexander Graham Bell carried out his first experi- ments he would use the expression “Ahoy, ahoy!” to understand whether there was anyone on the line and if he could be heard. Soon, “ahoy” became “haloo” and then “hello”. Recall that “ahoy” was also used at that time to signal passengers to board their ship when it was about to depart. Other researchers note that in 1877, Thomas Edison wrote a letter to the president of the Pitts- burgh Telegraph Company stating that using “hello” was the best way to answer the telephone. The company followed Edison’s advice, and within only a year or two the women they hired to be telephone operators became known as “hello girls.”

So, when it comes to answering the phone, “hello” has its origins in the U.S.A. and is used almost universally; while “pronto” has its origins in Italy and tends to be used only there.

Now let’s look at the component parts of an actual Italian telephone conversation you might initiate. What do you say after the person you’ve called says “pronto”?

Italians often add an unexpected “chi parla” or “con chi parlo,” which means “with whom am I speaking?” to their initial “pronto” greeting. A less friendly and more assertive response you may encounter is “dimmi il tuo nome” , “tell me your name”. Americans should identify with this formality, because back when everyone had a landline, we were taught as children to always identify the caller before saying anything else.

So the first rule of Italian telephone etiquette for the tourist is to identify yourself right away, as in “pronto, sono Paolo”. If it is a business call state your surname first, followed by your first name. Doing so at the beginning of the conversation may remove the torrent of italiano gibberish that can be thrown at you by the person on the other end of the line who has no idea you do not speak Italian very well if at all.

This leads to the most important phrase to have at your disposal: “buon giorno, mi dispiace, ma io non parlo italiano, parla inglese? “Good day, I am sorry but I do not speak Italian, do you speak English?” One travel book instructs its readers to memorize and practice this phrase, and to be ready to say during any part of a phone call in which you have lost the conversation. It’s a life raft, not a surrender flag, so be prepared to use it.

Once you identify yourself the other person may exchange pleasantries with you, “ciao Paolo, come stai?”, “hello Paul, how are you?, but if it is a business call they will probably just want to known what you want and why you are calling. Be prepared to hear the more direct “dimmi” or “dammi”, the latter meaning “give (your news) to me”. What you say at this point will depend on your reason for calling, and whether or not you have contacted an English speaking person. “Parli più lentamente, per favore”. “Speak more slowly, please” is another life-raft you can utilize. After conducting your business, don’t forget to end your call appropriately with some combination of “thank you” - “grazie”; “your welcome” - “prego”; and “goobye” - “ciao”. Now you’ve got it, so “resti in linea” – Stay on the line !

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