La Stagione delle Feste

At some point during the next two week I'll get around to all of the trips I haven't yet written about, but for now it seems more important to talk about the holiday season in Italy.

My favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, is, as Dad loves to joke, just known as "Thursday" here--I even had to go to class.  We did get to celebrate the occasion with a dinner at Rita's house, but even though I really appreciated her effort to give us a Thanksgiving with an Italian twist, and would normally be thrilled with pumpkin risotto, it definitely didn't feel like the holiday we all know and love.  Worst of all, the portions were a normal size, even a bit scant by Rita's usual standards. 

Thanksgiving turkey should never be so classy

So the next day (just a regular Friday, without any hordes of stampeding shoppers to be found) us Forni girls got busy in the kitchen and created a real Thanksgiving dinner, with all of our favorite dishes from home. This time, we all ate enough to confirm once and for all of the stereotypes our Italian roommates have about Americans. 

Molto, molto meglio

Molly, who lives in the other dorm, invited us all over to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with latkes, applesauce, gelt, and a makeshift menorah (there were none to be found in Bologna, although Rome impressed us by having a giant one right next to its giant Christmas tree).  Unlike Thanksgiving, Hanukkah actually worked pretty well in Italy.  After all, what's more Jewish than recreating our traditions in a foreign land?

We had one day of snow here that melted by the next morning, but combined with the city's Christmas lights it made for a very festive evening.  Luckily, I'm already sick of the snow, so I don't feel too bad about how I'm going to be stuck inside for most of the rest of my time here, getting ready for final exams.