NATALE (Christmas!) in Italia!

My Italian Christmas has already passed and I miss the Christmas-y feeling already. Even though, the weather here was unusually similar to that in springtime. At first it felt a little strange for me not being with my family on Christmas Eve (La vigilia di Natale) when we usually celebrate, but it the feeling dissipated when my host family showed me the way they celebrated my favorite holiday. I felt like I really was a relative, a part of the family at dinner.


L'albero di Natale e il presepe (The Christmas tree and nativity scene) were both up right after I got back from Amsterdam. It seemed to me that il presepe is a larger Italian Christmas centerpiece that the l'abero-the tree. It could also just depend on how I saw it, but accompanied by the tree, there was without a doubt always il presepe. In the house of mia nonna (host grandmother), there was only a presepe.

Il presepe in nearly every home!

My family's Christmas tree!

On Christmas Eve, we went to the relatives of my host mother, and we arrived around nine at night and left at two in the morning. Usually in America, we begin and end three hours earlier. It was super fun though even when your eyes start to close uncontrollably. The meal was delicious, but didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary cycle of cooking in Italia. We started with the antipasto of formaggio (cheese) and salsicce (sausages) and bread (there will always be bread, don't worry!). Then there was the primo piatto, which was ravioli or some sort of pasta, and then there was the porcetto sardo- buttery delicious pork.

The table is set! Let's eat!

Lastly came the fruit and dessert-tiramisù and un'altra torta (and another cake).

Cake with a mini nativity scene on top! Che bellina!

After dinner, we lit fireworks and Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) came for all the kids at midnight, but he didn't come from the chimney or when the children were sleeping. He just arrived and dropped off the presents and left during the party!

Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) brought me some delicious smelling soap!

Christmas Eve and we lit some fireworks (fuochi d'artificio)!

Before concluding the night, we played a game called "Tombola" which is similar to Bingo except you can win at different degrees. You win when you get two in a row, three, four, until you feel the whole board.

On Christmas day, we opened presents, all went to church, and everyone wished each other Merry Christmas or Tanti Auguri! with kisses on the cheek.

I gave my host sister a plane ticket for Christmas!

The splendid church in the little town where I live!

We had Christmas lunch at the house of my host father's relatives this time, but we even took a drive (abbiamo fatto un giro in macchina) afterwords and relaxed. Lunch was very similar to the dinner we had the night before, but equally delicious.

Il primo piatto-Natale

Pranzo a Natale (Lunch on Christmas Day)

Cosimina (aunt!)

Zio Ciccio...(my host uncle)

Me and my host sister!

Host cousin and host sister!

Host cousin!

Best host parents ever!

Nonna-Grandma

Marcella, my awesome and beautiful host sister!

We took a drive...

I even skyped with my family back home! 

The stockings are hung up, but we won't use them until the Befana (another Italian holiday on January 5th).  The Befana is an old women who delivers gifts to children.

I've never been felt like I've belonged to something this much after only three months. I feel at home now. At the beginning, it was like I had just moved into a different house and everything felt fresh. 2012 ends tomorrow and this year has probably been the most diverse and thrilling so far in my life. Right now, I can say I will have to return home next year, but in only a day I will be saying I'm going home this year...My indifference has now become not wanting to return home. I don't have to think about that for six months. I can enjoy my belonging to this place.