Italians are always celebrating something. I love to visit a town or village when they are celebrating a feast day or one of the many glories of food and wine. After Christmas comes the Befana (Epiphany), when the children in Italy get their stockings with candy if they have been good, and "coal" (actually large black lumps of sugar candy) if they have been bad. The Befana, a witch-like creature, can be seen in the piazzas where there are stalls selling stockings full of candy and "coal". Balloons and toys are everywhere. I especially love to go to Piazza Navona in Rome. My husband Andrea tells me that after the Befana, it is Carnevale! It is the next festival, but begins at different times every year, based on when Easter falls. For at least three of four weekends, before Mardi Gras (Martedi Grasso), there are parades and parties celebrating one of the most fun, and longest, holidays. The final celebration begins on Berlingaccio Giovedi Grasso (Thursday), and ends on Martedi Grasso (Tuesday). The wild celebrations are to prepare one for the Quaressima (Lent). The masked balls of Venice are famous as well as the parade in Viareggio. Wearing the masks and dressing up aid the saying "A Carnevale ogni scherzo vale!" ("During Carneval, all tricks are valid!") Beware! March 19 is Father's Day in Italy, celebrated with sweet fried rice fritters! April 1 is celebrated with the Pesce di Aprile, another day when pulling jokes triumphs and chocolate fish are sold in candy stores! On Easter Sunday, lunch is the big meal and usually lasts for several hours followed by long walks celebrating the arrival of spring. Roast tender young lamb, artichokes, asparagus, and new potatoes are my favorite meal. The Easter eggs are hard boiled white eggs (coloring the eggs is a recent practice), and are presented in baskets lined with a linen napkin and a large yellow Citron in the basket as well. The basket is brought to Mass and put up at the front altar to be blessed. When one arrives home from Mass, the Uove Benedette ("blessed eggs," Eggs Benedict) are eaten first for good luck. They can be crushed into a hot broth or made into an egg salad and spread on toast as an appetizer, or stuffed. The Citron is sliced paper-thin and usually sprinkled with sugar and eaten at the end of the meal. A Citron is a giant lemon; the white pith is eaten as well! Once spring has arrived the sagre begin. On almost any weekend, you will find signs for the sagre which are festivals centered around...FOOD! They are usually held in the late afternoon and conclude with communal dinners offered at reasonable prices. It's the best way to meet the locals! In June, Italians celebrate the harvesting of the grain, the Battitura. And, June is Florence's month. June 24 is St. John the Baptist's day and Florence celebrates with parades and a game of Calcio in Costume, a medieval soccer game (actually, a mix of soccer and rugby) played on sand, usually in Piazza Santa Croce. The teams represent the four quarters of the city, and the games can get very tough. July 2 is the first Palio in Siena. The final race is August 16, the Feast of the Assumption. Depending on the weather, August and September bring the wine harvest. And, what would a harvest be without a festival? Italy is the only country in the world where every single region makes wine. So the whole country will be celebrating. I BRAKE FOR SAGRE! Arezzo has the festival of the Saraceno in the main Piazza in September. It's a medieval jousting match with a giant wood, Sarceno. October 18 is the Festival of San Luca, the patron saint of Impruneta, Tuscany's main manufacturer of terracotta. I love to attend the lunch the towns people have under the church. Reservations are a must! Impruneta also has the oldest wine festival in Italy with decorated floats. Montalcino, home to Brunello wine, celebrates its festival, the Tordo (a small bird which is hunted here) at the end of the month. Competitions, costumes, and fabulous meals are all part of the festival. In November the olive harvest begins and carries on until January. Look for Olio Nuovo and Bruschetta on the sagre signs. Time flies when you are having fun! On December 8, the cities light up for the Christmas festivities and everyone seems to make dinner plans with friends to celebrate the season. Christmas lunch still remains a family affair. "Natale con I tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi", "Christmas with your relatives, Easter with who you wish!" This is one of the most important meals of the year and lasts hours! Actually between the meal itself, the after dinner drinks, fruit nuts, and bingo games -- it seems to carry on until dinner time! New Year's meals tend to be more modern and eaten out in restaurants accompanied by music and dancing. But be careful! Those who stay home often end the year by throwing objects out the window, giving a whole new meaning to "Out with the old!" Citizens of Rome and Naples are especially famous for throwing objects out the windows. Plates and glasses are common, as well as shooting guns and setting off fireworks! Buon Appetito e Buone Feste! NEWSLETTERS Life's Too Short [fall 2005] Pasqua [march 2005] Estate [summer 2004] Primavera [spring 2004] Tuscan Chocolate Valley [winter 2003] I Scream, U Scream, We All Scream for...Gelato! [summer 2003] Slow Food, Slow Travel [spring 2003] Sagre, Sagre, Sagre! [spring 2003] Tuscan Virgins [fall 2002] Fall Festivals [fall 2002] La Notte di San Lorenzo [summer 2002] Fireflies & Fireworks [summer 2002] I Love EWE! [spring 2002] Andrea's Christmas Dinner [winter 2001] Addio Bistecca alla Fiorentina! [summer 2001] Guelfa e Ghibellini [late summer 2001] Tartufi, Feste & Sagre [fall 2000] Piatti del Buon Ricordo [summer 2000] COMING SOON! Carrara: Marble & White Prosciutto