Thanksgiving Break

Ciao, amici! Buon Giorno del Ringraziamento! Or Felice Ringraziamento!

In other words, Happy Feast of Thanks(giving) or Happy Thanksgiving.

Italians (that is to say, the ones in Italy) don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. And if they did, we’d have a 1 in 365 chance that it would be the day we do, which is pretty lousy odds. So why, you might be asking, do Italians have a phrase for our holiday? Because many of their festivals throughout the year see family and friends greeted with this salutation. It’s a tradition I wouldn’t mind adopting here.

I’m taking the rest of this week off from all online communications. Though my celebration will be small this year (just me, my son, and our dogs), I still have traditional food to prepare. Like many Italian Americans, my family’s tradition includes pasta in addition to the normal fare, so I’ve got some cooking to do before Thursday. I understand many families prepare lasagna as their pasta of choice. We make “regular” pasta instead. Honestly, neither is difficult to make, but both take time. I’ve often considered switching to a pumpkin-and-sage ravioli in brown butter sauce, but I always stick with tradition. (I suspect my daughter would like the ravioli but lament the change of tradition. My son would just hate it outright because it wasn’t meat-based.)

I’m also FINALLY getting my furniture delivered from my move this past July. I won’t bore you with the details of why there was such a delay, but suffice it to say, it’s going to be a madhouse here this week.

I’ve just finished clearing emails and visiting sites. Before I step away from the computer and into the chaos, I wanted to take a moment to tell you all how much I appreciate you. I’m grateful for so many things (family, friends, health, safety), but high on the list are all the friendships we’ve forged and all the support you’ve given me over the years. Know you’re among the things I thank God for everyday, and you’ll definitely be on my mind while we gather at our Thanksgiving table.

Until next time, whether you celebrate the holiday or not, know you hold a special place in my heart. And whatever language you prefer…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Saluti!