Tag: traditions

Befana: history, traditions and typical dishes – Italian Cuisine

He arrives with his broom and gives sweets to the good children and coal to the bad ones. The history of the Befana and the traditions linked to this figure

"There hag he comes at night with his shoes all broken . Or: "Theepiphany all parties take away . There are many proverbs and idioms handed down over time and linked to the feast of January 6. The last of the Christmas period, with many meanings and symbols, typical recipes and above all with many desserts surprises for the little ones.

Between sacred and profane

According to the Christian religion, Epiphany is the day on which the three Magi kings, coming from the East, as the second Gospel reports Matteo, following a star they managed to reach Bethlehem, in the manger where he was born Jesus to honor him with gods gifts. It is no coincidence that the word Epiphany derives from the Greek "Manifestation" and Befana is none other than one corruption lexical of this term. But January 6 is actually an important date since the times of pre-Christian antiquity. The ancients Romans, for example, on this day they celebrated the beginning of the year with celebrations dedicated to the god Janus and to the goddess Strenia, while at the time of the emperor Aureliano from December 25 (feast of the sun) until the twelfth day following that date a particular practice was introduced: to burn an oak trunk continuously since from coal product could have obtained benefits in terms of luck for the following year. Furthermore, always in ancient times, it was believed that in the twelve nights preceding January 6 the goddess Diana, flying in the sky together with other female figures, he could make the soil more fertile and more fruitful. It is therefore evident that the origins of these holidays, and especially of the Befana, the great secular protagonist of the Epiphany, are truly ancient.

From gods to witches

With the Roman church's condemnations of pagan rites, the previously celebrated female image began to take on another form. And from the divinities we passed to witches. Long skirt, apron with pockets, shawl, worn shoes, handkerchief in the head, a physical aspect that is anything but pleasant and inevitable broom: soon the iconography of the Befana as we know it today took over, also favored by the hostile climate of Middle Ages towards certain pagan representations. Yet there are also those who speak of a relationship with Saint Lucia, the saint of light, illumination and therefore of the "manifestation", or even of a legend linked to the Christian origin of this holiday. According to this version, the figure of the Befana could in fact be inspired by one old lady to which the three Magi would have turned for information on the road to Bethlehem. The woman in question, however, would have refused to help them, soon regretting it: the next day, realizing the missed opportunity to see Jesus, the old woman tried to follow the Magi but was no longer able to find the baby. And for this reason every year, on January 6, he goes to all the houses to bring gifts to children.

The stocking, the coal and the exchange of gifts

Whatever the true story of the Befana is, what is certain is that it is a figure closely linked to tradition Italian, despite some assonance with those of Celtic and Germanic origin. Suffice it to say that this word, used to mean a female puppet exhibited on the night of the Epiphany, was already widespread in the popular dialect of the fourteenth century, especially in Tuscany It is in the Lazio northern. Gruff character and, in some ways, a representation of the old year, ready to sacrifice itself to revive a new period of prosperity, the Befana over time has become a sort of Grandmother who rewards good children with gifts, sweets And treats (formerly also tangerines and fruit) and punishes the bad ones with charcoal. The dreaded charcoal which, however, can also become edible and a very simple dessert to prepare. But why on the night of the Befana there is the tradition of socks? Again there are several theories. One of these is inspired by a legend according to which Numa Pompilius, one of the famous seven kings of Rome, used to hang during the period of solstice in winter a sock in a cave to receive gifts from a nymph. However, this is only a hypothesis. And it doesn't matter: today the Befana continues to be awaited by everyone, even by adults (who, however, tend to exchange gifts that are less demanding than those of Christmas) and always remembering to keep alive the tradition of the stocking to be filled.

Befana from north to south

But what are the dishes always linked to this holiday? In almost all regions there are traditional recipes that continue to live, especially with regard to desserts. In Tuscany, for example, they prepare for the occasion i horses di Siena, soft biscuits with water, sugar, honey, candied fruit, anise, nuts and yeast, while in Versilia there are so-called befanini, citrus-based shortbread biscuits e rum, covered with colored grain. In Varese January 6 rhymes with pinsa, a polenta pizza prepared with corn flour and dried fruit, while in Liguria there are the anicini (aniseed biscuits), in Abruzzo the pepatelli (similar to cantucci, but based on black pepper, honey, flour, cocoa, almonds and orange peel) while in Puglia you go by purcidduzzi from Salento at cartellate from Bari. In Campania, finally, the arrival of the Befana corresponds with the preparation of the prima pastiera of the year.

New Year and traditions: history, recipes and rituals – Italian Cuisine

From red underwear to the typical dishes of the dinner, from the windows open at the stroke of midnight to the origins of the party: history and curiosities in view of the New Year's Eve

The year is now running out and the night of new Year's Eve – the latest of each year according to Gregorian calendar in use throughout much of the world – is upon us. But how are the last twelve months around Italy greeted? New Year and traditionshere is a brief history.

All looking for good luck

First, however, a clarification is necessary. New Year's Day does not mean the day of December 31, as many mistakenly think, but the January 1st. That is the day that begins, immediately after midnight, to the sound of cheers and with several rites good wishes, also with regard to food. Just think of the main courses: from lentils to the cotechino, give zampone all 'grapes, all ingredients that have maintained their aura of lucky charm and that for this reason continue to be great classics on the occasion of new Year's Eve dinner. On the first day of January, after the party (and in some cases even the hangover), on the tables of all Italy appear then meat (pork or lamb primarily), vegetables as chard is chicory is fruit dry. And the reason, needless to say, is always the same: according to some popular traditions, these are foods that favor a new year full of money, health and satisfactions a little in all sectors.

The New Year and its history

The story of the New Year, a holiday of pagan origin, has its roots in the era of Babylonians, which, however, usually celebrated the change from one year to the next at thespring equinox, returning the agricultural tools received on loan as a sign of good resolution for the new vintage. In 46 BC Julius Caesar he then dictated the transition to the Julian calendar and the feast, which for the ancient Romans had the purpose of celebrating the god Janus (probably the main deity of the pantheon in the archaic period) thus began to fall between 31 December and 1 January. From 1582, with the introduction of the current calendar by Pope Gregory XIII, the story then took a very specific direction, and here is the New Year as we know it.

Rituals and traditions from China to ancient Rome

The traditions linked to this festival have also endured over time: from the use of mistletoe, considered auspicious as a source of purification as well as a real elixir against sterility, ai fires of artifice, invented in China around the eighth century after Christ. Also from the ancient Celestial Empire comes the custom of wear something red to celebrate the beginning of the new year. According to Chinese tradition, in fact, red is the color that frightens Niàn, the devouring beast that, on New Year's Eve, comes out of the sea depths to feed on human flesh. But red was also considered a good omen in Rome imperial: during the celebrations for the new year, in fact, women dressed in purple, the color of courage, passion, power and fertility. Another auspicious tradition is that of leave the windows open at midnight or by throw away the old things to make room for new projects. In the past, in Italy and beyond, many decided to complete this propitiatory rite even throwing useless objects from their balcony.

Regional specialties related to the New Year

"What you do on New Year's Eve is done all year round": this is one of the most pronounced phrases during the celebrations, followed by the inevitable good intentions for the beginning of January, which however in most cases are rejected. One for all? That of getting to diet. Forgetting the scales for a moment, then, here is a short tour of New Year's regional dishes. It starts from Piedmont with the boiled and the marengo chicken, Served with shrimp and mushrooms. In the city of Naples at New Year they reign cod is capitone, also breaded. In Lombardy the panettone it is inevitable; in South Tyrol instead space a dumplings is tirtlan, large fried ravioli with a stuffing of cabbage or spinach, sometimes accompanied with a barley soup. The cotechino it is widespread at all latitudes, but it is theEmilia Romagna the true homeland, while in Puglia New Year's Eve parties rhyme with panzerotto fried, chicory, Calzone stuffed, cartellate is lamb with lampascioni. In Liguria, finally, the protagonist of the New Year's Eve dinner is the Cappon Magro, which despite its name is not a rooster, but a fish: the capon.

The history and traditions of the Sečovlje salt pans – Italian Cuisine

The salt flats are always places of great charm. But in the case of those Sicciole even more, because here is a phenomenon unique in the world, a magic. Yet the salt pans are places of fundamental importance for many other reasons, cultural, economic and not least environmental. Their existence, in fact, is a guarantee of an ecosystem on which an incredible biodiversity of flora and fauna is based. Just think that more than 300 different species have been sighted in the Sečovlje Salinas alone! In short, it is essential that these places continue to exist, as a millennial affair that binds man to salt.

Man and salt

The salt flats are the perfect union between man and nature. In fact, these are natural areas where human intervention has not invaded or altered the landscape too much, but has limited itself to modeling it with the construction of embankments, canals and basins; for this very often they are found near the mouths of rivers, which carrying sediments downstream form alluvial plains, ideal for their creation. Furthermore, it is true that the work of the salt workers continues to be fundamental and to make the difference for the production of an artisanal and quality salt; but it is also true that, as often still happens in nature, fortunately, salt could not be produced without the right microclimate, in which there is the temperature and the ideal quantity of sun and wind necessary to evaporate the water of sea and thicken the salt. In short, salt is an element intrinsically linked to the life and history of man, so much so that it was the first object of exchange, white gold for which wars were fought, trade routes opened.
And in Piran it continues to be important, both from an economic and a cultural point of view: here this more than 100-year-old production has significantly impacted the daily life of the inhabitants, who almost all have at least one relative in the family. "But now almost no one wants to do this job, much less young people." And how do you become a salt worker? "We come here and we begin", they reply, demonstrating how ancient this work is and anthropologically linked to the nature of man.

Salt production in the Mediterranean

In the Mediterranean there are about 170 salt flats of different types, distributed in about 18 countries. Of these, only about half are active, while the others have been abandoned. Out of a world salt production of around 240 million tons, 7 million come from the Mediterranean and 5,500 from the Sečovlje salt pans, which have an area of about 750 hectares. These salt pans are strongly linked to those of Cervia, also because it could not be otherwise given that they are both facing the Adriatic, just over 400 kilometers away; in fact, they have also made a film together on what unites their production and in general on the importance of salt. In this regard, albeit one in Italy and the other in Slovenia, it is nice to think of them as a continuum on the Adriatic coast, which goes from Puglia with its salt flats of Margherita di Savoia, to Cervia, up to the Po Delta, passing through the Venetian lagoon of Venice, then to that of Grado and Marano, up to Sicciole, the northernmost salt flats in the Mediterranean. Because if we felt and saw a little more of this common Mediterranean belonging, this overlooking the same sea, we would realize that in the end boundaries are always more in people's heads than in reality. What matters is to enhance places such as the salt pans where salt is still collected by hand, trying to avoid what happened in Piran in 1968, when there was an abandonment due to a flood and the increase in the purchase of salts. less expensive industrials. Instead, keeping the salt flats alive is essential for various reasons, including, as anticipated, the protection of biodiversity: of plants, birds, flamingos, of some varieties of bees that are found only here, as well as of the whole world that is in shallow water, such as crabs, larvae and algae, like the magical one that makes Slovenian salt marshes unique in the world.

The magic of petola

The origin of this story is not well known, namely who was the first to bring the petola from the island of Pag, in Croatia. Yet what is happening today is a unique phenomenon. This magical alga, in fact, composed of cyanobacteria and other elements such as gypsum, carbonates, clay, acts as a natural filter between the salt and the sea mud present on the bottom of the basin, preventing them from mixing with each other. In this way, the Piran salt is collected already white, while elsewhere, to have the same result, it is washed, thus losing some of its characteristics. Furthermore, petola also acts as a biological filter, as it prevents some ions, such as those of iron or manganese, from binding to the salt. Thus, as early as the fourteenth century, this algae began to be artificially cultivated in the crystallization tanks, until 1904, when the production was modernized by the Austrians, who united several crystallization basins in a larger one in the center of the salt pans, surrounded by other basins with water at different levels of salinity. But how is the salt then collected?

How the salt harvest takes place

The salt workers say that salt is made in winter. Indeed, before harvesting and production itself, it usually goes from June to September, there is a very important maintenance work to be done: from the management of wooden tanks and locks, to the lining of the bottoms with marine mud and so on. In short, the previous months are fundamental in determining what the final result will be. For this reason, it usually starts already between February and March, when there are ideal conditions for the establishment of the petola and to top up the waters in the basins in order to facilitate the development of the alga until June; then with the progressive condensation of the water and the accumulation of minerals, the salt workers must pay close attention to the continuous cleaning of the tanks and inflow channels by extracting the necessary mud. Once the water has reached the right density, in the case of the Sečovlje salt pans, the salt workers enter directly with the clogs inside the tanks (which is rare, it hardly happens elsewhere!) e they still collect all the salt by hand with the help of the gavero, wooden tool, forming the mounds we are used to seeing (and photographing). When the salt finishes draining, it is loaded with the shovel on the trolley and transported to the dryer across the tracks, to then be processed and sold. All the salt produced here comes out with the brand Piranske Soline, or Saline di Pirano (also try the chocolates with salt flakes!). And think that most, about 70%, is sold in Slovenia and nowhere else. But if you want to learn more about this wonderful world of the Sečovlje Salt Pans, there is also an interactive museum, located in the former quarters of the salt workers' families. And then just a few steps away, there are also the only Thalasso Spa in Europe.

The thermal spa and wellness center in the middle of the salt flats

In the middle of the salt flats there are the Thalasso Spa Lepa Vida, which blend and blend perfectly with the houses of the salt workers. Thalassotherapy, from the Greek thalassa (sea) and thérapeia (treatment) is based on the curative action of the marine climate which in this case, thanks to the evaporation of sea water, is further loaded with aerosols. Inside the spa you can also do various treatments, such as massages or beauty packs, all with natural products from the surrounding salt marshes, such as sea mud or the salt itself. Then there are various pools of different sizes with mother water or pools with Kneipp path; in short, a truly perfect place to relax in the peace and silence of the salt flats, where at most you are disturbed by passing flamingos, seagulls or cormorants. Finally, there is also a refreshment point where you can have a snack and try some dishes from the salt workers' cuisine.

The kitchen of the salt workers

The cuisine in the salt pans is nothing more than what was cooked in the past in the houses of the salt workers. The community of Italians present in Piran, together with the Sea Museum, the Strunjan Nature Park and the Sečovlje Salt Pans, had developed a project on the cuisine of the salt workers. This involved the analysis, presentation and preparation of typical dishes that were part of life and work in the salt pans, with the aim of making known and enhancing this heritage that is still so alive. Unfortunately, due to the lockdown period, everything was limited to a virtual presentation, but the research work done certainly is not lost. The scheduled appointments should have focused mainly on three products: homemade bread, which was prepared in the oven inside the salt pans, in Lera and Fontanigge (one of those where the production of salt was abandoned in the 60s) ; some artichoke-based dishes, which according to testimonies all had in the garden; and finally the classic bigoli, yet another demonstration of the strong Venetian influence of the years of domination of the Serenissima. In the latter case, on 20 June, they managed to organize the preparation of homemade pasta right in the salt pans, then seasoned with both a vegetarian version of tomato sauce and with the umbolo, in the absence of luganighe, or a la pork cutlet, marinated in wine with garlic and bay leaf, a typical Istrian specialty. In this way, it was possible to see how they cooked in the houses of the salt pans where, as a salt worker recalls, there was "a brick fire, a fireplace with a chain to hang the cauldron and a small oven with a grill to cook sweet charcoal. . And then next to it, in a corner, there was a large jar, a basin for washing and on top of an old mirror corroded by salt … ".
Do we really want this world to dissolve completely?