Italian American Herald - December 2019

TRAVEL
Experience the real thing in Bologna
PAGE 3
ACHIEVER
Mother loses son to addiction, finds a mission
PAGE 6
IT’S ALL GOOD
A child’s Christmas
in South Philly
PAGE 8 DECEMBER 2019
WWW.ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM
A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER SERVING THE ITALIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
Performances by traditional zampognari or shepherd bagpipers date back to ancient Roman times.
By Jeanne Outlaw-Cannavo
The Italian Christmas season starts on Dec. 8 with the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, and continues until the Epiphany on Jan. 6, when the Three Wise Men are said to have arrived in Bethlehem.
In some parts of Italy, Dec. 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas, is often viewed as the first official day of the festive season. Others, however, begin the celebration on the first Sunday of
Advent. No matter when it officially starts, the most important date of the celebrations is without question Christmas Eve.
The nine-day period before Christmas, known as the Novena, is when Italians remember the journey of the shepherds
to the child Jesus’ manger. In rural areas
in particular, children are seen going from house to house dressed as shepherds and performing Christmas songs or poems, often in exchange for money or sweets.
In southern Italy and Rome, bagpipe- playing shepherds, known in Italy as zampognari, perform tunes in piazzas, They are usually dressed in traditional sheepskin and wool cloaks and often travel in pairs down from their mountain homes. This tradition is so important that no Italian Christmas would be complete without the sound of bagpipes. From the piazzas of Rome to remote hillside villages, the Zampognari
to this day continue the tradition of festive
bagpipe performances that date back to ancient Roman times.
Traditionally, the pipers were shepherds who, in a bid to earn an extra income, would travel down from their mountain homes at Christmastime to perform for the townsfolk in their market squares. The regions where you’re most likely to see zampognari are Abruzzo, Basilicata, Campania, Calabria,
Experience the magic of an Italian Christmas
Italy’s unique holiday traditions can be part of your celebration
continued on page 5
Vol. 6 / No. 12