I love the holidays! And this is in large part because I’m a firm believer that holiday celebrations are most satisfying when we reevaluate them from time to time, to make sure they reflect our present-day values and desires.I first learned this as a very little girl – maybe 6 or 7 at the most – when my Italian grandfather stood up from the dinner table one Christmas Eve and asked, “Why are we eating turkey? We’re Italian!My grandfather, who was born in Italy, then went on to tell us about his fondest holiday memories. He described the anticipation of watching his mother, grandmother, and sister busy in the kitchen, telling stories and laughing as they prepared homemade ravioli and marinara sauce, then gathering together as a family on Christmas day to savor the nourishing meal. My Grandfather was right. I come from an Italian family that values homemade pasta paired with a good marinara much more than a traditional turkey dinner! Yet, because we were Americanized, we had adopted the custom of making turkey with all the trimmings for holiday meals, even though it wasn’t nearly as satisfying. The following year, when my sister and I found ourselves seated on kitchen stools watching our mother and grandfather make ravioli and sauce from scratch while hearing my grandmother’s tales from “the good old days”, something inside me felt like I had come home. As an adult, I take pleasure in carrying on this tradition with my husband Frederic, and our two boys, Alex and Maxim. And because my parents live close by, they’re also able to participate with us. It’s awesome to see my mother, now in her late 80s, come fully alive during the Christmas season – in large part because helping out with the holiday meal provides her a perfect…
You must signup to view this story
Click HERE to SIGNUP. (Pay a one-time fee of £1.99)
or HERE to Log in if you have an account