Archive for the 'Roman Holidays' Category

06
Jan

Roman Holidays: Season Finale

By idcrome 0 Comments
Categories: Roman Holidays, Historic Sites, Past & Present and On the Street

Creche Scene in Rome's Aurelian Walls

Today, the Feast of Epiphany, marks the end of the holiday season in Rome. Over the past weeks, we at the eCool compound have alternated between being naughty and nice, but through this long and celebratory season, we’ve done all we can to insure that things go well in the New Year. We’ve honored pagan gods and Christian ones; we’ve worn our red underwear and eaten our lentils; and we’ve admired traditional holiday decorations as well as those a bit more interesting and innovative.

Today, we offer you one final holiday scene. It’s not particularly beautiful (and perhaps it’s a bit confounding), but without a doubt it’s an innovative way of embellishing the city.

Look closely at the photo above and you’ll see that a creche or presepe has been installed in niches in the Aurelian Wall where it runs across the top of the Via Veneto. Built between 271-275 AD by the Emperor Aurelian, these massive walls once enclosed all seven hills of Rome and were intended to protect Rome from invading forces. The entire circuit of walls ran some 12.5 miles around the city - and a very large portion of those walls still stand, marking the limits of Rome’s historic center.

Why embellish these ancient walls with a Christian nativity scene? We’ve no idea. But we like it, like it, yes we do….

And, with this unusual scene, we close our Roman Holidays series (to see other entries, click on the Roman Holidays category in the menu to the left), for after the celebration of the Epiphany, creche scenes come down, holiday decorations are stripped away, and life in Rome resumes its normal pace.

We wish you well in the New Year and hope you’ll enhance 2008 by visiting this site often. We’ll be here, doing everything we can to keep you up to date on all things hip and happening in Rome.

04
Jan

Roman Holidays: A Sporting Way to Celebrate

By idcrome 0 Comments
Categories: Roman Holidays, Sports and Advertising

Ad from La Gazzetta dello Sport

In celebration of the holidays, La Gazzetta dello Sport has released some fabulous ads that play on Italy’s tradition of creating elaborate presepe or nativity scenes.

Tradition meets the cutting edge of sport in each of these ads for they depict carefully crafted wisemen and shepherds who celebrate the birth of Jesus in the most sporting manners.

Above, the three wisemen pedal furiously towards Bethlehem, holding their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh in their hands as they go. But, these aren’t just generic wisemen figures! The Gazzetta dello Sport website gives the figures fictional identities, calling them Danil di Gaspare, Andy Melchiorre, and Eddy Baldassare (plays on the supposed names of the three kings - Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) and claims they’re competing in the biking world’s most important event, the Giro di Palestine.

Below, the soccer-playing shepherd known as Rove Sciath is shown in the historic match between Real Bethlehem and Atletico Nazareth, as he scores the winning goal for Atletico Nazareth. His formative years as a young soccer player were spent in Jordan and at 15 years of age he was acquired by Atletico Nazareth for the price of an ox and an ass and by 18 was competing in the big leagues. Now, to celebrate his big victory, he’ll be performing a multiplication of loaves and fishes.

Ad by La Gazzetta dello Sport

03
Jan

Roman Holidays: Behaving Well for Befana!

By idcrome 0 Comments
Categories: Roman Holidays and Food & Wine

Carbone (Candy Coal) for Sale over the holidays in Rome

The holidays aren’t yet over in Rome! Now that most have recovered from the excesses of New Year’s Eve (and fireworks have almost ceased to go off at random hours throughout the city), we’re all waiting for the next big celebration on Epiphany, January 6th.

Epiphany, of course, is celebrated as the day that the Three Wise Men visited the Baby Jesus, bestowing upon him gifts such as frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Thus, Italians have traditionally given one another gifts on Epiphany rather than on Christmas Day (though that practice is changing).

Just as American children are taught that they must behave in order to insure a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas Day, Italian children have traditionally been told that they must comport themselves nicely in order that Befana, the grandmotherly house frau who failed to accompany the Wise Men to Bethlehem (click here to read her story), might distribute gifts at their house on the feast of Epiphany.

What does Befana bring to children who haven’t been good? She brings Carbone Dolce (sweet coal, see photo above), a type of black candy that looks ominous but is sugary and sweet like rock candy and delights children by leaving teeth and tongue a frightening shade of black. In the run-up to Epiphany, carbone dolce is widely available for purchase both in stores and at the Piazza Navona Christmas Fair, as pictured above.

There’s still a few days before Epiphany (or Befana, as the holiday is often called in Italy), so if you’re eager to point out the bad behavior of friends and family when the 6th of January comes around, it’s time to start buying the carbone dolce and we suggest the Coal Bubble Gum shown at the bottom of this post.  Its chic box reads “because you’ve been very bad.”

Or, if you want to bestow a little tender loving care with your gift of coal, you can always make your own:

Carbone Dolce

3 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon black gel-paste food coloring
5 teaspoons pure extract — peppermint, cinnamon, or anise
1 teaspoon baking sodaLine an 8-inch square baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to overhang the sides by about 2 inches. Set aside.

Bring sugar, 3/4 cup water, and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, and wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming.

Once mixture comes to a boil and all the sugar has dissolved, clip a candy thermometer to pan, and raise heat to high. Continue cooking without stirring until mixture registers 300°. Remove from heat.

Carefully add food coloring, extract, and baking soda; stir slowly with a clean wooden spoon until thoroughly combined and mixture no longer bubbles, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan, and let cool completely.

Lift foil to remove candy from pan, and transfer candy to a large plastic bag. Crush with a kitchen mallet into chunks.

Coal Gum

02
Jan

Roman Holidays: Divers in the Tiber

By idcrome 0 Comments
Categories: Roman Holidays and Everything Else

Diver in the Tiber

Yesterday at high noon, in freezing temperatures, three divers plunged into the Tiber River from a height of more than 50 feet.

The event is a New Year tradition dating back to 1946, when a stuntman named Mr. OK who was trying to find work in the film industry leapt into the water from Ponte Cavour. Since then it has caught on as an annual event.

“I hope you all have a wonderful New Year,” said one of the divers, addressing onlookers in Italian. He dedicated his plunge to world peace.”Lets stop all these wars. Everyone should come down to the river with me instead of killing each other - Come On!”

Italy’s Corriere della Sera said on its Web site that two of the men were aged 40 and the other 56. Two were Italian and the third born in Syria, the report said.

Diver in the Tiber

01
Jan

Roman Holidays: Happy New Year!

By idcrome 0 Comments
Categories: Roman Holidays

Fireworks on New Year's Eve in Rome

On this New Year’s Day, we at the eCool Compound send our warmest wishes to friends and readers both near and far. We’re grateful for your continued support of this blog. We started Eternally Cool when 2007 was already one-third of the way over.  Nonetheless, some 250,000 independent visitors made their way to this site over the course of the year.

And so we’re celebrating success on this day! If you’ll keep reading, we’ll keep blogging in 2008 because nothing pleases us more than sharing the wonders of the Eternal City with the rest of the world.

01
Jan

Roman Holidays: Eat Your Lentils!

By idcrome 0 Comments
Categories: Roman Holidays and Food & Wine

Lentils for New Year's in Rome

The Eternal City is just arising from a long winter’s nap. An exciting New Year’s Eve saw both citizens and visitors thronging the streets as they took in free concerts and fireworks extravaganzas or dined on multi-course meals throughout the city.

No matter how one spent the evening, it’s safe to bet that most Romans ate lentils after midnight - or are doing so on New Year’s day. Their round shape - like coins - brings prosperity in the coming year.

If you’ve not yet had your lentils, it’s time to get busy cooking! Here’s a simple recipe for lentils of the type many Italians indulge in on Capodanno:

1/2 pound of lentils

2 springs of rosemary

2 peeled garlic cloves

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup vegetable broth (+ extra if needed)

salt & pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Soak the lentils for 1 hour in cold water to cover. Drain; place in a 2-quart pot and coer with coolwater, then add 1 sprig of rosemary together with 1 clove of garlic. Bring to a gentile boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain, discarding the rosemary and garlic. Mince the remaining garlic. Heat the olive oil in the same pot; add the remaining rosemary and garlic; cool until aromatic, about 1 minute over low heat. Add the lentils, broth, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Stir well.

Cook until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes, add a little more broth if needed. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.

Serves 6

Recipe via the Italian Language site on About.com

31
Dec

Roman Holidays: Ring in the New Year, Roman Style

By idcrome 0 Comments
Categories: Roman Holidays, Myth/Legend/Religion and Fashion

Red Underwear in a Roman Store at New Year's

If you’re wondering how to insure that the coming New Year brings you health, wealth, and wisdom, then you’ll want to take special note of these time-honored Italian traditions as you plan your New Year’s Eve festivities.

Of great importance is the color red, which is a symbol of life and prosperity, and therefore the luckiest of all colors. Across the Italian peninsula, New Year’s Eve tables are set with red decorations, red napkins, and red place markers. And though less immediately apparent, it’s worth knowing that many of those sitting around New Year’s Eve tables will be sporting red undergarments! Meant to insure love in the new year, red underwear and red lingerie adorn store windows in the week between Christmas and New Year’s (see photos above and below).

Fireworks will light up Rome’s sky on New Year’s Eve as they’re set off from every rooftop, bridge, and piazza (this in addition to the city-sponsored firework extravaganza). But along with such explosive “Roman candles” it’s absolutely necessary that your New Year’s table be lit with candlelight, for the use of candles insures a bright future. And because the New Year’s holiday falls in the very chilliest and darkest days of winter, there’s yet another light-producing tradition that survives in Italy - the burning of a Yule log during the twelve long nights between Christmas and Epiphany.

Since we are what we eat, the Italians also have traditional foods that are eaten on New Year’s Eve. Legend suggests that the eating of lentils will insure prosperity, perhaps because of their suggestive coin shape. In Rome, long and elaborate New Year’s meals end with a serving of lentils that is accompanied by boiled zampone (stuffed pig’s foot). It’s also a good practice to eat a pomegranate on New Year’s Eve as the hundreds of seeds inside the fruit means an association with fertility and abundance - a symbol that is often seen in Renaissance painting.

And, finally, even if your Christmas sprig of mistletoe hasn’t managed to bring love into your life just yet, don’t throw it away! Put it on your New Year’s Eve table as its milky white berries will ward off evil and misfortune for the coming year.

Red Underwear in a Roman Store at New Year's

29
Dec

Roman Holidays: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

By idcrome 0 Comments
Categories: Roman Holidays, Food & Wine and On the Street

Roasted Chestnuts in Rome

When the weather turns cold in Rome, chestnut vendors suddenly appear on every corner and the smell of roasting nuts wafts through the town. And nothing warms heart and body on a chilly day like clutching a paper cone filled with warm chestnuts (even if you’ve paid a small fortune for them!).

But how can you enjoy this winter treat if you’re not in the Eterna? Roast your own chestnuts in one of the following ways:

Roasting Chestnuts in an Oven

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Clean off chestnuts.

Use a sharp paring knife to cut an X into one side of each chestnut, or prick chestnuts with a fork to allow steam to escape. (This keeps them from exploding as they’re heated!)

Arrange chestnuts on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan, with the cut or pricked sides up.

Roast in oven for 15 to 25 minutes, or until chestnuts are tender and easy to peel.

Peel the nuts when they are cool enough to handle, and enjoy.


Roasting Chestnuts over a Fire

Choose a utensil that has a long handle such as a frying pan.

Clean dirt off of chestnuts.

Cut an X into the shell of each chestnut with a paring knife to avoid a buildup of steam inside the nuts.

Place chestnuts in pan and cover.

Roast over the coals of an open hearth for 15 to 25 minutes or until the chestnuts are tender and the shells are beginning to open.

Peel chestnuts when they are cool enough to handle and serve with salt if desired.

29
Dec

Roman Holidays: The Boards of the Manger

By idcrome 0 Comments
Categories: Roman Holidays, Historic Sites and Myth/Legend/Religion

The Relic of the Holy Manger or Sacra Culla in Rome

Devout (and curious) visitors to Rome over the Christmas holidays will certainly want to make a stop at the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore on the Esquiline Hill, as the massive 5th century church is home to Rome’s most treasured holiday relic - boards that comprised part of the manger in which the Baby Jesus was laid after his birth in Bethlehem.

Called the “cunambulum” or “sacra culla,” the relic comprises five long and narrow pieces of sycamore wood that are said to have been brought to Rome under the reign of Pope Theodore, between 640 and 649 AD. (The origins of the boards are uncertain. Some suggest that they were discovered in the Holy Land by Saint Helen, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, and thereby made the trip to Rome in the 4th century AD.)

Those truly devoted to the relic attend Midnight Mass at Christmas, an extraordinary ritual in which the relics and their elaborate reliquary (designed by Giuseppe Valadier) are unveiled. Usually, the relic is then exposed for veneration until Epiphany, 6 January, with a consecrated host placed in the crib to commemorate the laying of the body of the Christ Child in the Manger.

This year that won’t be happening. Italian newspapers are awash with the news that the Sacra Culla or Holy Manger is crumbling and needs immediate attention in order to be preserved. Thus, this year, the boards will not be exposed for veneration over the holidays, but rather will remain in their traditional place in order to prevent them from suffering damage that might be incurred if they were to be subject to movement or sudden changes in temperature or light. And, after the holidays a scientific committee will be appointed to oversee the work necessary to insure their preservation.

Because the Sacra Culla could not be part of the usual Christmas festivities at Santa Maria Maggiore, this year another precious relic kept at the church and rarely exposed to the public was celebrated. The panniculum, a 15 x 20 cm piece of cloth said to have been part of the clothes in which the Virgin Mary wrapped the Baby Jesus after his birth, was honored in the midnight mass instead.

Photos: The reliquary of the Sacra Culla by Giuseppe Valadier (above and below, left) and the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (below, right) in which these relics are kept.

To read about the miraculous snow that fell on the site of Santa Maria Maggiore in the 4th century AD, click here.
The Relic of the Holy Manger or Sacra Culla in Rome

28
Dec

Roman Holidays: Formal Attire

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Categories: Roman Holidays and Fashion

Rome's Fendi Store, Christmas 2007

In honor of the holiday season, Rome’s new Fendi store (at Largo Goldoni) has donned her formal garb. Brilliantly illuminated with lights that change from pink to purple to blue, the upper stories of the Fendi building are wrapped with an intricately blinged belt that even features the Fendi logo on the buckle. Do they sell those?

Rome's Fendi Store, Christmas 2007

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