Page 4 - Italian-American Herald - January 2024

4 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | JANUARY2024 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD CALENDAR
January: Named for the god of beginnings, endings, doorways and passages Continued from front page
second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, developed the months of January and February as part of the early Roman calendar. He made January the first month of the
year to commemorate the beginnings of
the Roman Empire. The first month of the calendar was called Gennaio, a name which originated before the year 1000 from Middle English. It derived from the Latin noun of Januarius, equivalent to Janus.
Janus was also known as the god of beginnings, doorways, gates, transitions, time, duality, passages, and endings. As such he presided over both the beginning and end of conflicts and he had duties related to birth and death, journeys, and trading as well as travels and shipping.
The Romans erected a shrine to Janus on the north side of the Roman Forum which was a simple rectangular bronze construction with double doors at each end. Ancient and modern scholars believe that the doors of this shrine were left open in time of war and were kept closed when Rome was at peace.
As the god of doorways, the name Janus is also thought to have evolved into the English word janitor. The word derived from the Latin janua, meaning “door, doorway, entrance,” and which initially was connected to a door attendant or porter before evolving into the modern word of custodian.
The powers of Janus held a special place in religious ceremonies throughout the year. His name was invoked at the beginning of each ceremony even though the event was
A longtime tradition in Bologna is the Falò del Vecchione where the effigy of an ancient man is burned on New Year’s Eve in Piazza Maggiore.
Zampone di Modena is a pork dish stuffed into the skin of the front leg of the pig traditionally served in some regions on New Year’s Eve.
honoring other deities.
In Italy, Italians prepare for the New Year
with the Vigilia di Capodanno. Dec. 31 is the Festa di San Silvestro in honor of Pope Silvestro who was elected to the papacy in 314 A.D. Families and friends will gather for a cenone, or large dinner and the younger generations will often celebrate together
by attending concerts which are offered in cities and towns both large and small. Other revelers may choose to attend an opera or theatrical event. In recent years it has also become more acceptable to attend dinners and parties that are hosted in hotels or restaurants.
For the Festa di San Silvestro dinner on New Year’s Eve, many families will make sure to include lentils with cotechino or zampone. Cotechino is an Emilian sausage made of pork, lard, pork rind and spices, which requires cooking and is not encased. Zampone is made with the same ingredients as cotechino but is stuffed into the skin of the front leg of a pig. The fat of the pork symbolizes abundance, and the lentils