Merry Christmas 2006!

Your Passport to Italy for Enchanting Tours

December 2006

Merry Christmas 2006!
from Elizabeth, Elena and Giovanni

All of us at Dream Italia wish all our readers a blessed and festive Christmas and a very Healthy and Happy New Year. May you and those you love receive many blessings in 2007.

In addition to our popular cooking and wine tours, we will offer two new tours in Autumn 2007. We are busily working to develop our new tours and will send a brief announcement when the details are available. Keep posted in the next couple of weeks!

The Alluring Amalfi Coast Tour takes you to the luxurious resort towns south of Naples. For aspiring photographers, join us on the Poetic Tuscany Photography Tour with award winning landscape photographer, Andrea Rontini. We'll enjoy in-the-field workshops in Mr. Rontini's own favorite hidden spots in Tuscany, as well as savoring the local sights, food and wine. We hope to see you on one of our tours next year!

Give the Gift of Balistreri Wine

Our dear friends at Balistreri Vineyards have been busy as bees combining their delicious handcrafted Colorado wines with yummy treats and beautiful plants and flowers into lovely gift baskets, for the Holidays and any occasion. Wine Club memberships and Gift Certificates also available.

Inspired by traditional winemaking techniques used by their ancestors in Sicily, the Balistreri family of Colorado is producing hand crafted award-winning wines in their Denver Winery.

You are invited to stop in the Balistreri Tasting Room to sample their newly released wines and warm up with some of their special recipe Hot Spiced Wine.

To accommodate extra Holiday shopping they will be open every day during the month of December from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (except Christmas Day and New Years Day).

Buon Natale Christmas in Italy

Il Presepe
Part 1 of 3 - History of the Crèche
by Anthony Parente

One of the most incredible scenes in Italy during Christmas time is the beautiful nativity scenes erected throughout the country. We first read about the birth of Christ in the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew. They tell us about the manger, the shepherds and the three Wise Men. They gave us an opportunity to envision what it was like the day that Christ was born. This scene has been recreated by many sculptors and painters, but no one is for certain who was the first to recreate this image.

Read the entire story.

Christmas Recipes and Traditions in Italy

Christmas, as it is celebrated in Italy, has two origins: the familiar traditions of Christianity blended with the pagan traditions predating the Christmas era. The greatest feast of the ancient Roman Empire, "Saturnalia" (a winter solstice celebration), just happens to coincide with the Christmas celebrations of the Advent. Consequently, Christmas fairs, merry-making and torch processions, honor not only the birth of Christ, but also the birth of the "Unconquered Sun." "Natale," the Italian word for Christmas, is literally the translation for "birthday."

A delightful, but rapidly disappearing tradition in Italy, is the ushering in of the coming festivities by the "Piferari" or fifers. They descend from the mountains of the Abruzzo and Latium playing inviting and characteristic tunes on their bagpipes, filling the air with anticipation for the joyous celebration to come.

Read the entire story.

More Fun To Come in 2007!

In 2007 we will be sponsoring more wine, food and jazz events and introducing local Italian businesses, telling you about interesting Italian festivals, news and events. Please stay tuned to the Dream Italia online newsletter for all the latest!

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Email: elizabeth@dreamitalia.com