Page 24 - Italian-American Herald - December 2022

24 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | DECEMBER2022 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I T T T T T T T T T T T T T T TA A A A A A A A A A A A A A A L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M P P P P P P P P P P P P P
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Natale all’italiana
Unlike the United States, that generally recognizes Thanksgiving as the day that ushers in the nation’s Christmas holiday season, in Italy “the season opener” can vary depending where in Italy you are, it can be anywhere from the first Sunday of Advent, which this year fell on Nov. 28, Saint 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 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 in 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 most well-known tradition is on the eve of St. Nicholas Day when 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, indicates the 9-day period prior to Christmas Day. Activities begin in full force, 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
This month’s proverb
It comes from Sicily.
Sicilianu: Dopu Natali ‘u friddu e ‘a fami.
Italiano: Dopo Natale il freddo e la fame.
English: (Literal) Following Christmas, Cold and hunger. (Figuratively) Christmas ushers in winter.
This month’s falso amico
It is slitta, which in English does not translate to as slit. It means sled. Slit in Italian is fessura.
You can research your surname on these two websites:
• surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/italian/ • cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani.
Happy New Year Now let’s move onto other useful Christmas holiday time expressions:
For obvious reasons, this month’s surname feature focuses historically, directly or indirectly, to Christmas and/or their biblical origins. This month’s feature also confirms that which our regular monthly feature doesn’t stress – that being that a majority of Italian surnames often evolve from a proper name of an ancestor or saint. E.g. Surname Giannino from San Giovanni, which very possibly indicates that an ancestor of the present day Giannino families was could have been a devotee of San Giovanni or St. John.
The first name is that most close to the Christmas or to Jesus Christ.
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 Italian surnames: Di Cristoforo, Cristi, Cristaldo, Cristaldi.
David or in Italian Davide this name 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, obviously feelings that followers of Jesus hold strongly to the Messiah.
Related Italian 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 Italian Surnames: Emmanueli, D ’Emanuele, Manuello.
Epiphany or in Italian Epifania is practically unheard of as a proper name in the U.S. However in Italy it is somewhat still given as a proper name. As a surname, it is more frequent.
Related Italian 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.” Clearly indicating that Italians name the special day from the Latin “natalis, referring 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 Italian 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!
Buon Capo d’Anno or Buon Anno Nuovo
Buone Feste Happy Holidays
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
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 Mezzanott
midnight mass
Natale
Christmas
neve
snow
pallina / palline
ball / balls
pandoro
a traditional Italian cake for the Christmas season
panettone
an 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
i Tre Re Magi
the Three Kings
la vigilia di Natale
Christmas Eve
vin brulè
mulled wine