Page 14 - Italiian American Herald - December 2021

14 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | DECEMBER2021 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD ITALIAN MADE FUN & SIMPLE
Natale all’italiana
Unlike the United States, which generally recognizes Thanksgiving as the day that ushers inthenation’sChristmasholidayseason,inItaly“theseasonopener”canvary. Dependingon where in Italy you are, it can be anywhere from the first Sunday of Advent, which this year fell on Nov. 28, St. Nicholas Day on Dec. 6 or Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. For the most part, the Feast of Immaculate Conception (l’Immacolata Concezione) is the most recognized day as the season’s beginning. Though it is a Catholic holy day, it is also recognized as a national Italian holiday, with all public offices and schools closed.
The second most popular day for welcoming the Christmas season in Italy is the Feast of St. Nicholas (La Festa di San Nicola). In areas where he is venerated, on that day, old traditions are played out to honor him and ring in the season, the best-known being that on the eve of St. Nicholas Day children place their shoes by the fireplace (vicino il focolare) or under their bed (sotto il letto). The next morning the children find their shoes filled with little presents from the great saint.
From the season’s onset to the last day of the season Jan. 6, the Epiphany (l’Epifania), other
Christmas-related holidays take place Dec. 13, Festa di Santa Lucia; Dec. 24, La Vigilia di Natale; Dec. 26, Festa di Santo Stefano; Dec. 28, Festa degl’Innocenti and Dec. 31, La Festa di San Silvestro or La Vigilia di Capo d’Anno. Some Italians still hold the tradition of the Festa del Candelora on Feb. 2 when they take down the presepio. Another day, though not a holiday per se, is Dec.16, known as La Novena di Natale. Novena, Latin for the ordinal number, ninth, indicatesthenine-dayperiodpriortoChristmasDay. Activitiesbegininfullforce,especially the visit to the presepi by the zampognari to serenade il Bambino Gesu`.
If you want to increase or improve your Italian Christmas vocabulary, here are some words and expressions to practice before the big day arrives!
Let’s start with greetings for the season.
Buon Natale Merry Christmas Buon Capo d’Anno or Buon Anno Nuovo Happy New Year Buone Feste Happy Holidays
Now let’s move on to other useful Christmas holiday-time expressions:
Figuratively: Its meaning implies that at Carnival time go out and enjoy the festivities; your place at Christmas and Easter is home with family.
This month’s falso amico
It is caldo. With the winter upon us, the word cold quickly comes to mind. However, the Italian word for cold is not caldo, as it might appear. Caldo actually means warm. In Italian cold is freddo.
You can research your surname on these two websites:
• surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/italian/ • cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani.
• addobbo / addobbi
decoration / decorations
• albero / alberi di Natale
Christmas tree / trees
• angelo / angeli
angel / angels
• Babbo Natale
Santa Claus
• la Befana - the Befana Christmas witch
• calza / calze
stocking / stockings
• camino / camini
chimney / chimneys
• campanella / campanelle
bell / bells
• candela / candele
candle / candles
• canto natalizio / canti natalizi, Christmas carol / carols
• carta da regalo
wrapping paper
• chiesa / chiese
church / churches
This month’s proverb
•elfo/elfi-elf/elves
• festeggiare - to celebrate
• Gesù Bambino - Baby Jesus
• il giorno di Natale
Christmas Day
• il giorno di Santo Stefano
- Feast of St. Stephen (Boxing Day)
• Giuseppe - Joseph
• inverno - winter
• luce / luci - light / lights
• stella / stelle - star / stars
• Maria - Mary
• mercatino / mercatini di Natale - Christmas market / markets
• la messa di Mezzanotte
midnight mass
• Natale - Christmas
• neve - snow
• pallina / palline - ball / balls
• pandoro - a traditional Italian cake for the Christmas season
• panettone - a traditional Italian cake for the Christmas season
• pranzo di Natale
Christmas lunch
• pregare - to pray
• presepe / presepi
Nativity scene / scenes
• pupazzo / pupazzi di neve
snowman / snowmen
• regalo / regali - gift / gifts
• renna / renne
reindeer / reindeers
• San Nicola
St. Nicholas
• slitta / slitte
sleigh / sleighs
•iTreReMagi
the Three Kings
• la vigilia di Natale
Christmas Eve
• vin brulè
mulled wine
This month’s surname feature focuses
on names related to Christmas and/or their biblical origins. This month’s feature also confirms that which our regular monthly feature doesn’t stress. That is that a majority of Italian surnames often evolve from a proper name of an ancestor or saint; for example, the surname Giannino is derived from San Giovanni, indicating that an ancestor of the present-day Giannino families was probably a devotee of San Giovanni or St. John.
We begin with the most obvious.
Christian, or in Italian Cristiano, which appears in Acts 11:26 first indicating a follower of Christ. Eventually as Christianity spread the use of the word developed into a proper name which today gives us a number of derivatives as a proper name and as a surname. Related proper names: Christine, Chris, Christopher. Related surnames: Di Cristoforo, Cristi, Cristaldo, Cristaldi.
David, or in Italian Davide, is most often associated with the Old Testament. However- scripture states that Jesus descended from the “House of David.” The word David means well-beloved, dear – feelings that followers of Jesus hold strongly to the Messiah. Related surnames: Daviddi, Daviti, Davidi.
Emmanuel, or in Italian Emmanuele, actually is another word that Christians
use to refer to Jesus. It’s one of few biblical words attributed simultaneously to Latin and Hebrew. In either language, it means God with us. It is a common first name in Italy. Related surnames: Emmanueli, D ’Emanuele, Manuello.
Epiphany, or in Italian Epifania, is practically unheard-of as a proper name in the United. States. However, in Italy it is somewhat still given as a proper name. As a surname, it is more frequent. Related surnames: Epifanio, Epifana, Epifania,
Epifanio.
Nazzaro or Nazzareno and their feminine
forms are common proper names in Italy. An obvious name which translates to Nazarene is directly connect to Jesus who was known as “Jesus of Nazareth” or in Italian “Gesù il Nazzareno.” The form Nazzari is the usual form when adopted as an Italian surname.
Natalie, or in Italian Natalia, derives
a proper name from the Italian word for Christmas, Natale. In the word we see the English “natal,” indicating that Italians name the special day from the Latin “natalis,” refer- ring to birth. As a proper name it is heard frequently here and in Italy. If parents wish to name their son after the holiday, it actually is Natale. Diminutives are Natalino and Natalina. Related surnames: Di Natale.
Joy, or Italian Gioia, is from Latin and means happiness. The relationship to Christmas is quite clear, appearing in song, greetings, and just a very joyous time of year.
Common biblical names in English, their origins and the Italian equivalent.
Joseph (Hebrew) - Gen. 30:24 - increase; addition. (Giuseppe)
Stephen (Greek) - Acts 6:5 - crown; crowned (Stefano)
Angela (Greek) - Gen. 16:7 - Angelic. (Angela)
Anna (Greek, from Hebrew) - Luke 2:36 - gracious; (Anna)
Bethel (Hebrew) - Gen. 12:8 - the house of God. (Bettina)
Elizabeth (Hebrew) - Luke 1:5 - the oath, or fullness, of God. (Elizabetta)
Mary (Hebrew) - Matt. 1:16 - rebellion; sea of bitterness. (Maria)
Joanna (Hebrew) - Luke 8:3 - grace or gift of the Lord. (Giovanna)
Joy (Old French, Latin) - Heb. 1:9 - happiness. (Gioia)
Buon Natale a tutti!
Napulitane:Carnevaleaddòtetruove, NataleePascaa’casatoia. Italiano: Carnevale dove ti trovi, Natale e a Pasqua a casa tua. Literal translation: Carnival time enjoy wherever you are,
but Christmas and Easter in your home.