Page 30 - Italian-American Herald - December 2023

30 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | DECEMBER2023 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD ITALIAN MADE FUN & SIMPLE
Natale all’italiana
In Italy the beginning of the Christmas holidays can vary. This depends on the area in which people live and 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 the Immaculate Conception (l’Immacolata Concezione) is the most recognized day as the season’s start. 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, festivities commence when traditional celebrations take place to honor him and ring in the season. The most well-known takes place 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 on Jan. 6, the Epiphany (l’Epifania), a number of other Christmas-related holidays are observed. Dec. 13 is the Festa di Santa Lucia; Dec. 24 is La Vigilia di Natale and Dec. 26 is the Festa di Santo Stefano. La Festa degl’Innocenti takes place on Dec. 28 and La Festa di San Silvestro or La Vigilia di Capo d’Anno is observed on Dec. 31. Some Italians still practice the tradition of the Festa del Candelora on Feb. 2 when they take down the presepio. Another celebration, though not a holiday per se, is Dec. 16, known as La Novena di Natale. Novena, Latin for the ordinal number, ninth, indicates the nine-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
Buon Capo d’Anno or Buon Anno Nuovo = Happy New Year Buone Feste = Happy holidays
Now let’s move onto other useful Christmas holiday expressions:
Though Sardinia is one of Italy’s 20 regions, the region has the official linguistic status as a distinct Romance language with distinct dialects within it. Here is how northern Sardinian compares to Italian when expressing Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Since Corsica lies just north of Sardinia, we included the Corsican holiday greetings. While French is the official language, it shares the Corsican language as an official language, which is actually an Italic language closer to Italian.
You can research your surname on these two websites:
• surnames.behindthename.com/
names/usage/italian/
• cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cogno-
mi-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
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 sweet bread 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
Sardu: Bon Nadale, Bon’annu. Italiano: Buon Natale. Buon’anno. Corso: Bon Natale. Bon annu.
This month our surnames feature will focus directly and indirectly on historical and biblical ties to the Christmas season. With
a bit of a twist we will note how surnames evolved from proper names in this context with surnames deriving from proper names of an ancestor or saint or a biblical passage. For example, the surname Giannino comes from San Giovanni, which very possibly indicates that an ancestor of the present-day Giannino families could have been a devotee of San Giovanni or St. John.
The first name is that most close to Christmas or to Jesus Christ.
Christian or in Italian Cristiano 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 then became used as a surname. Related proper names: CHRISTINE, CHRIS, CHRISTOPHER. Related Italian 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, obviously feelings that followers of Jesus were closely bonded 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 is 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 United States. However, in Italy it is occasionally still given as a proper name. As a surname, it is more frequent. Related Italian surnames: EPIFANIO, EPIFANIA, EPIFANA.
Nazzaro or Nazzareno and their feminine forms are common proper names in Italy. An obvious name which translates to Nazarene and is directly connected 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 as
a proper name from the Italian word for Christmas, Natale. In the word we see the English “natal.” This clearly indicates 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 surname: Di Natale.
Joy (Old French, Latin) appears in Hebrews 1:9 meaning happiness. The relationship to Christmas is quite clear appearing in song, greetings, and the joyous festivities that take place during this time of year.
Other 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)
Buon Natale a tutti!
Next month this feature returns to surnames starting with the letter T.