Nativity aboard a ship in Cesenatico, Forli

The residents of this town take great pride in their nativity scene and manger which rest aboard a sailing ship that is harbored in their port. Thirty five people can board the vessel at a time to view lifesize figures which are hand molded of sculpting materials and covered in wax in order to give their skin and expressions lifelike appearances. The costumes of the Holy group are also handmade of the same precious cloth that the originals were fashioned from. During the evening hours, an organist on deck leads the observers in religious and holiday singsong. There is a handpushed antique carousel for the youngsters and plentiful drink and merriment for the adults! Also, in the Palazzo Veronese, there is are typical Italian ways of celebrating Christmas put on display next to typical European ways. From December 6 till January 10

The Presepio (Nativity Scene)throughout Italy

This Italian invention is one of the oldest purely Christian traditions that has had a truly international impact. An anonymous Italian sculpted a bas-relief on an early Christian sarcophagus in 342 AD, which gives Italy claim to the earliest known depiction of Christ's birth. It incorporates New Testament iconography with the Babe laid in a manger visited by shepherds (Luke 2:7-19), and the wise men from the east (Matthew 2:2), while the attending ox and donkey are derived from the Old Testament Isaiah (1:3). However, the first true presepio was invented by Saint Francis of Assisi. To celebrate Christmas of 1223, the medieval populist/Saint asked a landowner friend of his, Giovanni Vellita, to place an ox and an ass next to an empty manger filled with hay outside of the church he had rebuilt in Greccio (just outside his hometown). Descriptions of this event have since been greatly exaggerated, but the simplicity of this first presepio is verified by St. Francis's biographers, St. Bonaventure and Thomas of Celano...no angels, no shepherds and no props. Naturally, the direct emotional appeal of this potent icon instituted by their founder had deep religious resonance with early Franciscans, who zealously promoted its use in all their churches worldwide. Along with the rapid growth of their new order during the 1200s, they also spread the popularity of the presepio throughout Christendom, a popularity undiminished in Italy today. During Advent (the 40 days preceding Christmas), churches and communities throughout Italy display a presepio as a reminder to the faithful of the coming of the Messiah, encouraging them to make a local pilgrimage to visit nearby churches and say a prayer of thanksgiving for the arrival of their Savior, just as Saint Francis originally intended. Most of the Nativity Scenes offered by the communities are elaborate, life-sized creations (many are stunning to say the least) and a good number of them are ongoing theatrical events incorporating live people. During the entire Advent period (the 40 days preceding Christmas) in villages and cities throughout Italy.
Visit www.presepi.it/trad_reg/home_en.html

Hanukkah celebrations

A Jewish Feast of Lights celebrating the victory of the Maccabees and rededication of the Temple. Many people are shocked to hear that 80% of Jews in Italy survived the Holocaust while 80% of the Jews outside of Italy perished. Today there are around 35,000 Italian Jews that survived Mussolini's 1938 race laws and Nazism and many have moved to towns where they could live in harmony like Florence, Venice and Pitigliano (a small town in Southern Tuscany which is famous for it's Kosher white wine). The Venetian Jewish community lived confined to the Ghetto from 1516 until 1797 when Napoleon put an end to their segregation and had the Ghetto gates destroyed. Although Venice's ghetto was the first ever to exist, Rome's ghetto came into existence shortly thereafter (in 1555) when Pope Paul IV issued his famous papal decree that held that it was absurd for Jews to live alongside Christians. Jews were also confined to ghettos in Mantua (where six synagogues existed at one time), Asti and Torino. Roman Jews make up the oldest, uninterrupted community in Europe, dating back to 161 B.C., when, as political delegates sent by Judas the Maccabee, they came to ask for protection against Antioch IV. City authorities in Rome prefer not to indicate the location of the ex-ghetto as they call it, but the heart of it is located at the Piazza delle Cinque Scole and it is a vibrant, living Jewish quarter as are the ghettos in Venice and Torino. Shalom Italia (in the Bay area of California) offers a ton of relevant information at 415-837-0235. The Menorah Libreria in Rome is a giant, bilingual bookstore that carries absolutely everything pertaining to Judaism and they can be contacted at 06-66879297. Plus the rapidly expanding Jewish Museum of Bologna (051-2911280) is taking on a new cultural significance and welcomes inquiries. November 30 - December 7

Ice Sculpture Competition in Livigno, Lombardy

During the first week of the month, 10 teams of sculptors compete for the prize of the best ice sculpture. The creations are enormous and the creativity of the ice artists knows no boundaries. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. Phone 011-39-0342-997117. December 4 - 8. See www.livigno.com/artinice

Fest of the Wild Boar, Suvereto, Livorno
This is a ten day full-boar celebration of the wild boar that recognizes very few limits. It's an official reincarnation from the seventies but the historians of the area claim there is ample evidence that the practice goes back centuries. The town not only gives homage to the economic and gastronomic importance of this proliferous animal, but to the other biologically pure products of the area (wine, oils and honey) and the historical roots of the medieval town. To this end, the piazzas are filled with residents in century-old garb and the restaurants are decked out in medieval fashion as well. On December 8th (which is a national holiday anyway) the activities culminate with a massive convergence of hunters, their dogs and more wild boar meat piled up on tables than you have ever seen in your life. The public slaughtering and preparation of the meat is typically in Etruscan fashion but every variation of boar cuisine is on display and readily available for massive consumption. Most of the competitive events (archery and other athletic contests) will take place on the weekend closest to December. See www.infol.it/notizie/1999/suvereto.html or www.valdicornia.com/sagradisuvereto/

Publication Date: 2002-12-01
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2070