The Special Neighbour

Children’s Story was written by Grazia Martienssen

Christmas Time

Angela and Angelo are 5-year-old twins that live in Italy. They are very excited because their Christmas tree will go up soon, on the 8th of December. This also coincides with the celebrations of the Feast of the immaculate conception of Mary. A canon is fired from Rome’s Castel Saint Angelo to mark the start of the festivities.

This period is a very magical time in Italy. In fact, the festivities continue until the Feast of the Epiphany on the 6th of January. Churches have special services during the lead-up to Christmas.

We call this the Advent period, which comes from late and means “coming” to signify the period of preparations before the arrival of baby Jesus that arrived on Christmas day.

In the lead-up to the 25th of December, children go from house to house dressed as shepherds, performing Christmas songs or poems, in exchange for sweets or money. A highlight is the midnight mass at the Vatican, but many people also enjoy skiing during this period.

Did you know that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus? What do you like best about Christmas?

The epiphany: (When the wise men found baby Jesus)

The good children are excited well beyond Christmas day because on the evening of the 5th of January, the legend of the old Befana will bring them gifts. If they were good, she fills their Christmas stockings for them with sweets and candies but, if they were bad, they will get a lump of coal.

She is a good housekeeper and will sweep the floors before leaving the children’s houses. She sweeps away all the problems of the previous year. Families leave a glass of wine out, and Panetone (Christmas cake) for her. They also leave out red or sand colour stockings for her to fill.

Angelo and Angela listen carefully as papa tells them for the first time that La Befana used to live in the empty cottage next door, and that she is gone out to look for baby Jesus and will bring gifts to the children. The kids listen on as mamma explains that a long time ago, she was sweeping in front of her house, and then suddenly the 3 wise men stopped to talk to her.

She offered them food and shelter. They asked for directions to baby Jesus and asked her to join them. She was too busy so she refused. That night she saw a bright light and took it as a sign to follow the wise men. She had the urge to go to Bethlehem to bring the newborn baby gifts, so she took freshly baked goodies with her, and off she went with her broom in her hand.

She went off to see him for herself, and to help the new mother with housework. Although she followed the same star, she got lost and did not find him, so legend has it that she is still searching for baby Jesus today. Sometimes the children see her flying through the sky on her broomstick. She enters the houses through the chimneys, so is covered in soot. The twins know they have been good, so mamma and papa help them to write letters to the Bafana. They also learn poems about her.

Would you like to learn one? Try to repeat this one, first in Italian and then in English.

La Befana vien di notte /Con le scarpe tutte rotti/Con vestito alla romana /Viva viva la Befana.

The Befana comes at night/with her shoes, all tattered and torn/She comes dressed in a Roman way/Long live Befana.

Have you seen an old woman flying through the sky at night on a broomstick?

La Befana is back!!!!

The next day the children went out to play and saw an old woman sweeping in front of the house next door. “Befana,” they shout out excitedly. “Grazie per I bel regali” (Thank for the gifts).

“Piacere,” (Pleasure) responded the old Befana. She then entered the house and came out with some freshly baked biscuits for them. They could not wait to tell their cousins and friends about their special neighbour, and her delicious biscuits.

Do you have a special neighbour?

Santo and Santina’s Onomastico (Name Saints Day)

Children’s story written by Grazia Martienssen

Good day children, Flyer the seagull here, today let me tell you about:

Santo and Santina are cousins named after their Nonno (grandfather) Santo. They have been waiting a long time to celebrate their name day. Most of their friends, family and relatives have already celebrated theirs. Their friend Sebastian celebrated his in January. Their cousin Agata’s in February. Santo’s friend Giovanni has his in June, and Rosalia’s was in September. Others celebrate theirs on various dates throughout the year. The festivities usually include fireworks and carrying icons or statues from the saint’s church in procession. Some of their older cousins have been confirmed and celebrate their confirmation saint’s day as well.

What’s your name? Do you know if you are named after someone special?

All Saints and All Souls Day
Finally, it is the 1st of November and it’s Santo and Santin’s Onomastico. They celebrate with their Nonno Santo and all the saints. It is a public holiday. Those who do not have saints’ names celebrate with them as well. Nonno reads to them and teaches them more about the saints. They learn that their feast day started sometime in the year 609 AD (Anno Domino). This refers to the number of years after Jesus passed on. Originally it was celebrated in springtime, which is in March, April and May, but later it was changed to November (winter).

They remember the saints at mass in the Eucharist. After mass family and friends visit them and bring them gifts. Nonno gets a calendar for the following year with the saints for each month on it. It also shows the patron saints of each Town. Along with other gifts, the children get a book with big pictures and some writing on each page explaining about the saints.

Everybody wishes them ‘buon onnomastico’ (happy name day). The family and relatives all come around and have a special meal together on Nonno’s farm where they spend the day after mass. Mom makes some long homemade pasta called maccheroni for the 1st course. The second course is meat with sauce (carne al sugo). She also makes cannoli for dessert (a sweet treat). Their cousins in North Italy send photos of their day, they are eating risotto (a rice dish) and snacking on roasted chestnuts (In different parts of Italy, traditions and cultures change). They set an empty place at the table for those in heaven.
The next day is tutti i morti (all souls day).

They remember their family and relatives and friends who have gone to heaven. They go to the graves to bring flowers especially chrysanthemums (In Italy different flowers are used for different occasions). They clean the graves and spend time with those in heaven. They light candles to pay their respect to them. Their friends in Rome sent a video of their picnic at the graveside to share a meal with those in heaven. They talk to their Nonna, Bisnonno (great-grandfather), and other families in heaven. Santo and Santina miss their Nonna and Bisnonno very much, but they know they can talk to them and they will be listening from heaven, so they tell them everything. They tell them all about preschool, their friends, their new puppies, absolutely everything.

Do you know anyone in heaven? Do you visit them at the grave and bring flowers?
Do you talk to them?

Hidden sweets
Later in the day they finally look around the house for sweets and luxuries hidden by their loved ones from heaven. It is so much fun looking for special treats. They find them all over the house and enjoy them.

Which special treats and sweets do you like?

Giovanni’s Easter (Pasqua)

Written by Grazia Martienssen

Gooday children, Flyer the seagull here, let me tell you about: Giovanni’s Easter (Pasqua)

The traditions:

Giovanni is a seven-year-old boy who lives in a small mountain village in Italy. It is almost Easter, and nonna (granny) is teaching him all about the local traditions and festivities of Lent and Easter.

What Easter traditions do you have?

Festivities and Fasting:

Giovedi Grasso (fat Thursday) is also the day that the carnival starts. Every year it’s on a different date, but falls on the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday, and continues for six days. During this week, Italy has some of the most entertaining festivals around the world.

Street parties begin, and it resembles a modern-day circus, with fun parades as far as the eyes can see. The carnival ends on Martedi Grasso (Shrove Tuesday), which starts with a feast, where they have more yummy food with all the villagers. Carnevale or in Latin, “Carnem Levare,” traditionally means, “remove the meat.” After the festivities of the carnival, in the olden days, many people gave up meat for the 40 days leading up to Easter. Nowadays, people give up many different things.

Giovanni is very excited and proud as he dressed up and got ready to walk along the parade with his family. He is going to help carry the statues for the carnival.

They walk through the streets with the whole village, his uncles and some of his father’s friends also help carry the statues. Some watch from their balconies, it’s so much fun!

Every day they do something different, some days they sing, other days they play music. His older sister Maria plays the tambourines and is teaching him to play them as well.

Do you play any musical instruments on special occasions?

Ash Wednesday has arrived, and they all go to Mass and receive ashes on their foreheads as it marks the beginning of Lent. She explains to him that the money they save from giving up something for Lent can be used to give to the poor. Giovanni tries his best to give up luxuries.

Do you and your family give up something for lent?

On Good Friday Giovanni and his family go to mass. They have a small ornament of Jesus on the cross. Nonna explains to him all about what happened to Jesus when he went back to heaven. Some of Giovanni’s neighbours dress up as Jesus and his disciples. Before Mass, nonna, his sister Maria, and his mamma prepare a traditional fish dish.

Do you eat fish on Good Friday? Do you go to church on Good Friday?

Maria always reminds her parents, “Natale con I tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi” (Christmas with your family, Easter with anyone you like) before being whisked away by her friends for the long weekend. Giovanni is still young and has to stay with his parents and helps where he can.

Nonna and mamma bake bread in a basket shape, they also boil some eggs and place them in the breadbasket. Giovanni loves helping to shape the dough into a basket and decorating it. He also enjoys carefully placing the eggs in each basket.

On Easter Sunday he gets chocolate Easter eggs as well, and some of the eggs have a little gift inside. Later they go to mass again, and after Mass, he carries a small statue of Jesus or Mary through the village. After that, they go on a picnic lunch. Giovanni really looks forward to eating la Colomba for dessert (sweet bread cake shaped like a dove).

What do you do on Easter day? What’s your favourite part of the day?

Easter Monday (La Pasquetta)

On Easter Monday Giovanni plays games, has raced and has lots of fun. His favourite game is the spoon and egg race. Everyone has a lovely time with lots of laughter. After the games, they celebrate with another picnic lunch at the farm with all the close and extended family.

What do you do on Easter Monday? Do you have any special food?