Date and name of the festivity:

CHRISTMAS
The 25th of December.
What we celebrate:

we celebrate the birth of

Jesus
from the Virgin Mary.
He comes to the world
to save us and bring us
the light of life.
In fact, in the past
the Romans called
this Festivity
“The light festival”
http://natale.tipiace.it
http://www.natale360.com
How we celebrate:
At Christmas Eve, after eating with all the
family, we go to the Church to pray,
sing with happiness and faith
waiting the Midnight.
Then, after the birth of Jesus,
everyone (children above all)
receive “Father Christmas Gift”.
The day after,
we usually stay at home
with all the family
and play cards and “tombola”
(that is a sort of Bingo).
 Special meals:
We usually eat fish on Eve;
at Christmas Day we usually eat “panettone”
(a sort of pudding with raisins and candied peel
inside) or “pandoro” (a tall cake shaped like a star)
after lunch.

PANETTONE PANDORO
Date and name of festivity:
CARNIVAL
(usually on February)
What we celebrate:
The last opportunity to use up special
foods before Lent. Traditionally
during Lent, no parties or other
celebrations were held, and people
refrained from eating rich foods, such
as meat, fats and sugar.
The name comes from “carne levare”
meaning “to remove meat”or it comes
from the Late Latin expression “carne
vale”, which means “farewell to
meat”.
http://www.carnevale.venezia.it

http://www.carnevalediputignano.it
How we celebrate:
We walk along the streets of the city
in great parades dressed with funny dresses
(like animals, important persons lived in the
past, witches, clowns, etc..)
and throw streamers to people
watching the parades.
We make jokes to everyone
to laugh together.
 Special meals:
“Chiacchiere”
(crisp biscuits
with powder of sugar)
 Date and name of festivity:
EASTER
A special Sunday in March or April.
 What we celebrate:
We remember Christ’s death
and his return to life.
 How we celebrate:
We go to the Church the three days before Easter;
on Friday there’s a “Stations Cross Procession”
in the old city of Bari.
On Easter we give chocolate eggs as presents.
At Easter Monday we usually go to the country
and have a pic-nic with friends singing and playing all day.
Special meals:
“U Bnditt” (fresh cheese, ham, bacon, boiled
eggs), roasted lamb, “la Scarcella” (a large round biscuit
with a boiled egg in the centre), chocolate eggs and
“la Colomba Pasquale” a sweet bread similar to panettone,
baked in the shape of a dove (colomba). It contains
candied peel and is decorated/topped with a
glaze, sugar and almonds before baking.
http://www.lapasqua.com

SCARCELLA
COLOMBA PASQUALE
 Date and name of festivity:
SAINT NICHOLAS FEAST
the 7th, the 8th and the 9th of May
What we celebrate:
We celebrate the Patron
Saint of the city and
the translation of his Relics
from Myra (Turkey) to Bari. Basilica di San Nicola in Bari.
It was built between 1087
and 1197.
www.basilicasannicola.it

http://www.travelblog.it/post/7782/il-programma-della-festa-di-san-nicola-a-bari-edizione-2009
How we celebrate:
There’s a historic procession to remember
the miracles made by Saint Nicolaus; there’s
a religious procession across the sea with
boats and catamarans, and fireworks on the
sea and on the earth.
http://www.agendaonline.it/eventi/puglia/festa-san-nicola.htm
Special meals:
“Sgagliozze” (little browned fried salted cake
made with corn); meat, sausages and
octopus barbecue along the seafront.

ROASTED MEAT
AND SAUSAGES

OCTOPUS

SGAGLIOZZE