Buon Natale - Merry Christmas in Italian.
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It’s not Christmas yet but I’m doing a new carving for the holidays, simultaneously thinking back to years ago of having Christmas Eve dinner at my Grandma’s house.
In my late teens, when everyone was still living, it was a joyous time.
All my aunts, uncles, and cousins would get together at my Uncle Louie’s house in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, to celebrate Christmas. My aunts and my Mom would prepare the Christmas feast. Aunt Rae would make the lobster and shrimp dish; Aunt Millie did the calamari, eels and mussels; my Uncle Freddy made the clam dish. My mother always did the antipasto—peppers, cheese, olives, zucchini, and stuffed mushrooms. Aunt Angie baked the pies and cheese cakes. Aunt Elvira made the struffela and bow ties dripping with honey and powdered sugar. My Aunt Edith always went to Squillantis Patisserie and bought pastries—she wasn’t crazy about cooking. All my aunts and my mother worked really hard preparing the Christmas feast.
Bridge tables and chairs were brought to Uncle Louie’s basement and placed in a long line just like King Arthur’s Court; adults at one end and all the kids assembled at the other end.
We had a big family and counting our friends that stopped by for a glass of wine or desert we probably could have filled a section at Yankee Stadium.
My Uncle Louis and Uncle Ralph each professed to have made the best wine. It was fun to watch them argue. The rest of us just drank it (who cared!). It tasted great. You couldn’t read the label because the gallon jugs didn’t have one. They kept their bottles on the floor next to their chair. But they poured generously.
Dinner started about 6 p.m. beginning with a delicious antipasto of peppers, cheese, olives and crusty fresh bread from Latteri’s or Mondello’s Bakery.
When the table was cleared the second course would begin. The second course was all the fish dishes prepared by Aunt Rae and Aunt Millie. Then we had pasta: spaghetti and clams, lasagna and Grandma’s homemade raviolis.
After a few hours of eating it was finally time for all the deserts.
Friends would begin to drop by and fruits and nuts and figs would be served with more wine. Espresso was made and served with Anisette, Sambucca and other cordials. The party was getting larger and louder. Some of us played cards and others napped.
The teens got ready to leave and “bounce”. Bouncing meant we went from our friends house to house to house. It was lots of fun. I “bounced” with my Cousin Joe and Cousin Maryann. First we would stop at Frankie’s house. We’d kiss his Mom, shake hands with his Dad and wish everybody a Merry Christmas—and then have a little toast. We didn’t drive—no one had cars. We would collect other friends and bounce to the next stop. Our crowd of friends continued to grow.
We’d get to church a little after 11 pm to meet up with other friends before attending midnight mass.
After midnight mass we would all bounce around to different friends’ houses. We grew up in a small neighborhood in the Bronx so we all knew each other. After a while we would return to Grandma’s for leftover ravioli or cheese cake. It was a great way to start Christmas day.
I love the Christmas season. Everybody seems so alive and happy!
And that is my wish– happiness for everyone this coming year. Buon Natale!
You can see all of my Italian wall plaques and Italian decor items at our website: www.piazzapisano.com
