Iac 1X Dec 2020 La Voce
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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 Christmas 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 Jesus. 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 Nativity scene, called the “Presepe” in Italian, and in more modern times a Christmas tree. 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 Saint Nicholas 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 Santa Claus. 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” (Christmas Eve) 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 midnight Mass. (President, continued on page 2) Italian American Club of Boise LA VOCE DECEMBER 2020 1 DECEMBER 2020 (President, continued from page 1) 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 Epiphany “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 Father Christmas “Babbo Natale” and/or “La Befana”, 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 ! ********************************************************************************** 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. Italian American Club of Boise LA VOCE DECEMBER 2020 2 DECEMBER 2020 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.