By: Marianna Gatto, ISDA Contributing Editor
Have you ever wondered how some of our most cherished holiday traditions came to be? That is, why do we decorate Christmas trees with candy canes and not candy rings? Where does the custom of giving presents originate, and why do we hang stockings by the chimney?
Christmas 2020 will be a holiday season unlike any other — with many of us spending the holidays apart from our loved ones. Rest assured, the ritual celebrations we hold closest to our heart have themselves been subject to considerable improvisation over the centuries and in times of strife, and this year their tenacity will be tested once more.
Join the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles and the Italian Sons and Daughters of America on Thursday, December 10 at 4 pm PST/7 pm EST via Facebook Live, for a free interactive lecture Buon Natale: Unexpected Stories Behind Beloved Holiday Traditions. Award-winning author, lecturer, and photographer Carla Gambescia will lead us on a journey of discovery to reveal surprising stories such as how Saint Nicholas of Bari became Santa Claus — a central character in our celebration of Christmas, why we decorate with evergreen and holly, and how pagan and Christian practices coalesced into time-honored holiday rituals.
Watch the complete lecture, here:
The lecture will also explore the Nativity and other stories surrounding the birth of Christ, such as the identity of the Magi and the symbolism of their gifts — gold, frankincense, and myrrh — the Holy Family’s Flight into Egypt, and the practice of constructing creches, or presepi.
Gambescia’s presentation will examine uniquely Italian customs such as La Befana (the Christmas Witch), the Feast of the Epiphany, and wearing red underwear on New Years Eve. Since no Italian celebration is complete without food, Gambescia will also discuss some of Italy’s most famous regional holiday specialities, including sausage with lentils, and their meaning.
Marianna Gatto is the executive director and cofounder of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA), a historian and author with more than a decade of experience in public history, non-profit leadership, museums, and education.
