Christmas Special… playing Tombola!

Today we want to play Tombola with you!

From north to south, in Italy, Tombola is the Christmas game par excellence. Protagonist of family long evenings where both adults and children gather to spend a few hours in joy.

Have you ever heard about?

Tombola is very similar to bingo, very popular in Anglo-Saxon countries, but with a most ancient and curious story, that now we try to tell you.

According to the tradition, in 1734 the king of Naples, Carlo III of Borbone, and the Dominican friar Gregorio Maria Rocco had a small dispute.

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Abruzzo and its Christmas of solidarity and friendship

Old traditions and ancient customs relive in Christmas here in Abruzzo, within the picturesque snow-capped mountains. The days before Christmas Eve, bagpipers come down from the Gran Sasso and the Majella mountains to warm up the villages with Christmas nenias. That’s the signal that the feast is approaching.

Photo courtesy of Antonio Bini

Typical of the Christmas period are also the living nativity scenes, which are still today set up in large part of Abruzzo. Particularly striking is the one inside the Grotte di Stiffe. The most important however is the crib of Rivisondoli, represented by the magnificent mountain scenery of this village, whose old town turns into a little Bethlehem till the Epiphany.

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Christmas special: the Feast of Santa Lucia

Today we take a little break from our wandering through the Italian regions and their Christmas traditions because we want to celebrate Santa Lucia with you.

There are many legends and traditions associated with this Saint, typical only of certain areas of Italy, but they fully fit in the Christmas atmosphere.

The story of the Saint and her martyrdom is bloody and cruel, but Saint Lucia is a feast for children. A day of gifts and sweets, that they will get if they were good during the year. Therefore the story we want to tell you is more similar to the one that is told to children.

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