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We’ve all heard of it, but who actually tasted it? Yes, this may well be the biggest question about cappone(kap-poh-nai), capon in English, our Italian word for today. I, just like many of you I am sure, grew up with …

Capodanno is, on the Italian calendar, the second most important holiday in the season,  just after Christmas and just before Epifania. From a religious point of view, of course, the day of the Befana is more important – and not …

If we think of a recreational activity that speaks of the fall, most of us are likely to mention apple picking. A world of colorful foliage and cerulean skies, crisp air, and Saturday afternoons spent picking the juiciest fruits while …

Today’s word opens up a world of possibilities because we use it when talking about …just that: possibilities. Casomai (cah-soh-mah-ee) is the union of two terms, the noun caso (“case,” as in “just in case”) and the adverb mai (“never”). …

Sebbene (saib-bai-nai) means “although,” “even if,” “albeit” and pretty much all those little words you can use in English to indicate when something happens in spite of something else. As usual, it is much easier to understand with examples! Sono …

Today’s word is tosto (toh-stoh), which comes from the Latin tostus,  the past participle of the verb torrere,  or “to dry out,” “to toast.” We started using tosto sometimes in the 13th century, but not with the meaning we, today, …

To be fair, this habit doesn’t belong to Italians only, but it’s so popular we may well see where it comes from! Kissing under the mistletoe, or baciarsi sotto al vischio, is a must of the festive season in every …

Ogni tanto (oh- ñee tahn-toh) is used more than sometimes in Italian! Why do I say “sometimes?” Because that’s what it means. Indeed ogni tanto stands for the English “sometimes,” or “every now and then,” which in fact may be …

The month of January is traditionally considered the coldest. In fact, its last three days are believed to be the chilliest time of the year: in Italy, we call them Giorni della Merla,  or “the blackbird days,” and there are …

Is there anything more quintessentially Venetian than a gondola? Well yes, perhaps: a gondoliere, or gondolier, to say it in English. We all know these colorful figures, so familiar to all those who visited La Serenissima at least once in …