The Holiday Marathon

The Big Bingo Winners: Lulu & Fabri

 In Italy, even more than in the US, the winter holidays are a marathon. The holiday season traditionally opens on December 8, the Immaculate Conception. As far as I can tell, it's just a day off of work/school for all but the most Catholic among us. So the Italian holiday season starts after ours (ours beginning with Thanksgiving at the end of November), BUT it doesn't end until January 6, the Epiphany. We're done after New Year's Day, and we don't celebrate December 26th, which it seems a lot of the rest of the world does. 

Our silly looking family in front of our little tree

In Fabri's family, we follow the Southern Italian tradition of a big seafood dinner on Christmas Eve. I have to say that I wasn't into it this year. It went very, very long, the dining portion not ending until 1am and without copious amounts of vino, I was exhausted and over it by 11pm. 

The holidays in the Motta Goldstein house

Christmas Day we took it easy. Fabri had to do rounds at the hospital in the morning, so after opening our stockings and presents at home, he went to work and I had a relaxing morning. I was in no rush to have a long family lunch (even though we'd be 10 instead of 20 like the night before), so Fabri and I didn't go over to Ruffia until 2 or 3 in the afternoon allowing everyone to eat their several course meal without us. When we arrived, we picked and chose what left overs to heat up and ate quietly just the two of us. That was lovely.

After lunch, we kept everything relaxed and low-key. We played cards with Gaetano & Detta (wish we had been able to finish) and lounged around. Olney was better behaved because there were fewer people and it was sunny & he could spend a lot of time outside. That evening I (amazingly) didn't feel like killing Fabri & escaping, so I made MD steamed shrimp for everyone for dinner instead. Giovanni & Brunella joined us and we played the traditional family bingo tournament ending at 11 or so. Much, much better.

I showed the Motta's how to light the Menorah before bingo

 

 

December 26, San Stefano, Fabri wasn't working during the day, but did have a night shift that night. We decided that was a good reason to not leave the house and just try to recover from the weekend. We both worked on Tuesday, so we needed it! 

Four holidays down, two more to go.  To be continued...