The snow we see on the ground at Christmastime is made up of hundreds of billions of tiny snowflakes, none of which are identical. This is because each snowflake is made up of millions of tiny water molecules that can arrange themselves in infinite ways. Comparing two snowflakes may reveal some physical similarities but statistically …
Without his faithful sleigh – or slitta (feminine, plural: slitte) in Italian – and the help of his eight reindeer, Santa Claus wouldn’t be able to deliver presents to the millions of children across the world! (Or so the story goes!) La slitta di Babbo Natale è carica di regali. Santa’s sleigh is loaded with …
The word for reindeer in Italian is renna (feminine, plural: renne). Reindeer are one of the most recognised modern Christmas symbols across the world because they are depicted as pulling Santa Claus‘ sleigh across the night sky. In Italian, these eight reindeer are called: Cometa, Ballerina, Fulmine, Donnola,Freccia, Saltarello, Donato, Cupido Tu conosci tutti i …
At Christmastime, children all over the world are encouraged to write letters to Santa Claus that include a list of presents they would like to receive – if they’ve been good, that is! The word for list in Italian is very similar to the English: simply add an a to the end to make it …
Christmas is an exciting time of the year for children because they know they will receive lots of toys under the Christmas tree! The generic word for toy or game in Italian is gioco (masculine plural: giochi). Metti via i tuoi giochi, Mattia! È ora di andare a dormire. Put your toys away, Mattia! It’s …
The presepe (masculine, plural: presepi), or nativity scene in English, has been an integral part of the Italian Christmas tradition since the 16th century. It is important not only to practising Catholics (cattolici) celebrating the birth of Christ, but to all Italians who want to embrace their past (passato) and heritage (eredità). Interesting fact: Another …