Want to celebrate New Year's Eve the Italian way? Prepare cotechino (pork sausage) and lenticchie (lentils - which symbolize money), a dish that stands for prosperity on La Festa di ... Read More

Each year during the Christmas Eve midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica the pope delivers a homily in Italian and several other languages. The message, called 'Urbi et Orbi' in ... Read More

During Christmastime, one readily observable difference between Italy and the United States, for instance, is the lack of crass commercialism that threatens to swallow up and completely secularize the holiday. ... Read More

The tradition of fare il presepe, that is, the representation of the Holy Family, lives on in Via San Gregorio Armeno. In the center of Naples, this narrow street, which ... Read More

Wonders never cease! Open up the print version of the year-end issue of The New Yorker and right there, on the inside front cover, is a big, glossy two-page ad ... Read More

According to the Agenzia Giornalistica Italia, during an awards ceremony for education, culture, and art, Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi said that: "We must reinforce our efforts in the proliferation ... Read More

The reindeers' names in English: Comet, Dancer, Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, Donder, Blitzen, Cupid. And in Italian: Cometa, Ballerina, Fulmine, Donnola, Freccia, Saltarello, Donato, Cupido.

Want to learn Italian? Then read Italian. And if you want to read an interesting, informative, intelligent blog, read Ironica. What's not to like about a personal journal whose motto ... Read More

A recent article in The New York Times, You Say Prosciutto, I Say Pro-SHOOT, and Purists Cringe described the final vowel-eating habits of Italian Americans and others when pronouncing Italian ... Read More

Can't roll your R's? Hai la erre moscia? One forum member suggests saying "pot o' tea" over and over again. Another recommends pretending you're revving up a motorcycle. In any ... Read More