JANUARY Epiphany is twelve days after Christmas; it is the time of the Christmas season when gifts are exchanged. In Italy, the role of Santa Claus is played by the toothless witch "La Befana" who rides about on her broomstick distributing toys and candy to good children and garlic and "carbone" (sweets resembling lumps of coal) to bad children. Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas season and is one of the most best-loved holidays, especially as it marks the beginning of Carnival as well. Popular dishes include FESTIVE sweet bread in Friuli, GNOCCHI di zucca, and grilled sausages. In SICILY, Greek Orthodox women celebrate Epiphany by wearing traditional dress and forming a procession to church where they then take part in the beautiful Feast of Lights. The priest blesses the oranges which he then handed out to the townspeople as a symbol of prosperity for the New Year. ---------------- FEBRUARY Carnival (Carnevale) is celebrated throughout Italy for one week, beginning on Maunday Thursday. Every region has its own special traditions. The Church was very restrictive and, historically, it was the only time when people felt free, once hidden behind masks, to indulge in revelry and merriment before the sobriety of Lent. Aside from the parades, costumes, and music other Carnevale highlights (in Ivrea and Turin) include three days of "battling" where oranges are used for weapons. The end of the festivities is marked by a torch-lit procession where the most recently married couples dig the first holes for the "scarli" (tall poles), upon which heather and juniper garlands are strung. These poles are torched and if the flames reach the banner at the very top, it means prosperity for the community and many weddings for the coming year.Some delicacies that always appear at this time are cannoli, carnival gnocco, and all types of FRITTELLE. Along with this big festival, several smaller festivals are held throughout the month including the polenta festival in LOMBARDY and the olive festival in UMBRIA when delicious BRUSCHETTA drizzled with the olive oil are served. Throughout Italy the carnival is celebrated by eating "Nuns RIBBONS ". -------------- MARCH During Lent (Quaresima) special meals are served to make up for the meat and eggs that are not eaten during this time. "La Vecchia," an old hag, is the embodiment of Lent and in different regions she takes on different guises. For example, in SARDINIA she is made of bread and has seven legs, one is bitten off as each week passes during Lent. She is burned in effigy at the end of Lent and her death symbolizes the new growth of spring. Different regions have special dishes like the sweet rolls from *FLORENCE* ("corollo") and the ("pazientini" or "patience") little cookies -- something that everyone needs to have during Lent. For Saint Joseph's Day (March 19) PIEDMONT celebrates with all kinds of FRITTATES while in LOMBARDY tortelli is featured. ----------------- APRIL Easter (Pasqua) processions in Italy are special and every region celebrates in its own way. In SICILY, the dance of the devils is performed; they are ritually chased away and supplanted by the Madonna - a large, mechanical figure that is paraded through the streets. Eggs, which are dyed red, are passed out to visitors. In some towns arches made of bread line the streets. Shortley afterwards, there is a huge potato gnocchi festival in Teolo in VENETO. On April 25, the feast of Saint Mark, (the patron saint of Venice), the traditional dish RISI e bisi (rice and peas) is served. The annual banquet which was held during the Republic of San Marco in the Palazzo Ducale featured 12 courses always began with a rice dish followed by a pea and prosciutto dish. It is guessed that at one banquet the two got mixed, the Doge ate it and loved it, and the rest is history. Lamb dishes such as ABBACCHIO are also standard. ROME celebrates the end of the month with an artichoke festival. A traditional favorite are the CARCIOFI alla giudea. --------------- MAY During May many spring festivals and Saint's Days are celebrated. On May 1, a porchetta festival is held in UMBRIA and on the first Thursday in May honors the miracle that San Domenicao performed when he turned poisonous snakes into delicious breads. In ABRUZZO, women form a procession carrying snake-shaped breads. These breads, CIAMBELLONE, are formed into rings to represent a snake biting its own tail. These breads are given to the men who carry the statue of the saint and the banner to the church. Money to make the bread is collected by the townspeople who go from door to door "begging" for the ingredients. It is considered an honor to be chosen to make these rings. This ritual has been carried out for almost four hundred years and at one time involved live snakes. In LAZIO, an asparagus festival is held during the last Sunday in May which features all kinds of dishes, for example, the delicious asparagus TART. ---------------- JUNE In June when the fruits and flowers of the country color the countryside, many cultivation festivals are held including the strawberry festival of Nemi (LAZIO) and the cherry festival of Marostica (VENETO). It is also the time of the *PESTO* festival in FLORENCE when they pay tribute to pine nuts on the first Sunday of June. One of the most beautiful festivals is the flower festival of Spello, (UMBRIA) on June 21 (the "Infiorata"); incredible carpets are created entirely of flowers. These beautiful "pictures" are placed on the main street and on the street that leads to the church in Genzano. It takes two weeks to gather the flowers; large groups of artists then develop their designs in utmost secrecy until the eve of the celebration. These carpets are judged and the decision for the best one is made public at a special dinner where the winning team gets money for a victory dinner of their own. A popular dish in this area is BRUSCHETTA and a traditional dish eaten in Rome, on the eve of San Giovanni, is SNAILS. ---------------- JULY In July summer festivities are in full swing but few are as exciting as the horse race, the Palio, which takes place on July 2 and August 16 in SIENA in TUSCANY. This event captivates the entire city. The horses are picked by a lottery and lots are drawn for the ten "contrade" who compete for the special silk victory banner. Horses and riders are also paired by lottery and an age- old system of negotiations begins between contrades. A great deal of money may be exchanged when one contrade pays off another to defeat an old rival or pays to keep a jockey in his pocket though he rides for another. It is considered victory enough if one defeats a rival even if he does not come in first. The worst case scenario is to come in second. This is such a humiliation that the contrade who suffers this fate slips into darkness while the rest of the city celebrates. Many other festivals take place and in PALERMO, the Feast of Saint Rosalia in mid-July is celebrated with CAPONATA while in Venice marinated SOLE is enjoyed for the feast of Il Redentore. ------------------ AUGUST The famous white wine of Lazio, Est!Est!Est!, is celebrated in festivals during the first few weeks of August. This wine takes its name from the German "est" meaning "it is." A German cardinal traveled to ROME for the coronation of Henry V in 1110. He sent his steward ahead to identify taverns serving good wine and instructed him to mark those tavern doors with "est." His rather intoxicated steward was later found by the cardinal beneath a door upon which he had written "est, est, est" and so the wine was named. On August 14 in TUSCANY in the town of Cortona, the famous BISTECCA alla Florentine are cooked over the largest grill in Italy for one of the country's largest barbecues. Other food events include the cured pork festival in Arnad in VAL d'Aosta. The following day as well as the capellini festival in Campofilone in the Marches on the same day. Lazio celebrates with its pasta ALL'AMATRICIANA at the end of the month. ---------------- SEPTEMBER At Marostica (*VENICE*) a chess game is acted out by people as the pieces and played by experts of the chess club. It has been held on the first Friday to the second Sunday of the month on even-numbered years since 1923. The legend is that a 15th century wise man, interested in his daughter's welfare, warded off the many suitors asking for her hand. He disdained violence and refused to have duals fought over her. He then decided that the winner of a chess game should be the one to marry his daughter as the winner would, no doubt, have to be clever, patient, and wise. The game is played fast and is quite exciting and the entire square is made to look like a giant chessboard. The famous *TOMATOES* of Italy are honored in a festival in Angri, *CAMPANIA* during September. During this time all sorts of tomato dishes are served and enjoyed. -------------------- OCTOBER In *TUSCANY*, on the fourth Sunday of October, a thrush festival dating to the 14th century is held. The small birds gather in Tuscany for the juniper berries that grow there and during the festival, costumed men form a procession wearing medieval regalia and arms. The birds are then killed, grilled, and served in a variety of ways. During September and October there are many wine festivals from the elaborate ones of large cities to the small festivals held in villages. The wine *FESTIVAL* in the mountain community of *BISENTI* is highlighted with a parade and, of course, lots of food. It is also the time to make *BAGNA* cauda. Traditionally, people would enjoy this dish while standing over the large earthenware pot in which it was made. Eggs are sometimes broken into the oil remaining at the bottom of the pot and then scrambled. Truffle shavings might also be added for a special treat. Truffles, of course, are abundant at this time as it is truffle season as well. ------------------- NOVEMBER To end the growing season, a very old celebration takes place in *EMILIA* -romagna during the third weekend of the month in the city of Terra del Sole. The fruits are blessed and bonfires are lit in the afternoon and feasting goes on all day. Many special sweets are made as it is also the time of All Saints'Day which marks the saint's entry, or ritual birth, into Heaven. There are also many *CHESTNUT* festivals. They are roasted or sometimes groundto make delicious breads. This is also the time of the olive harvest and *MINESTRONE* is always made at this time in *TUSCANY*. The best olive oil, from the first pressing, is drizzled on top of this delicious soup. ------------------- DECEMBER The festivities that lead up to Christmas are wonderful events. Celebrations throughout *SICILY*, in honor of Santa Lucia, are quite joyous as she is thought to have saved the island from starvation during a terrible famine in the 16th century by miraculously providing a boat load of grain. Today Sicilians do not eat wheat-flour products on December 13 in honor of her memory. Christmas is always celebrated with family and the baking begins several weeks before. Everyone makes a special creche and figures are often amassed through the years so that some of the displays are quite elaborate. Christmas Eve is quite solemn. Special dishes like *PANETTONE*, pandoro, and mostaccioli are served. Fish dishes are traditionally the centerpiece of this two day holiday in order to purify the body. Eel is a favorite for Christmas Eve. In *PIEDMONT*, *LASAGNE* is made. However, dishes such as buccelatti, roast capon, cappelletti, and many kinds of sweets such as torrone are eaten on Christmas in various regions.