Befana is actually an Italian witch who comes out during the Christmas responsible for bringing presents, toys, and candy to good little children on the night of the Epiphany.
The biggest star of the 1996 film Big Night isn’t Stanley Tucci or Tony Shalhoub, but rather the timpano, the massive baked pasta dish the restaurant-owning brothers serve their guests on the night of the huge dinner. Timpano is a classic Italian dish dating back at least to the 19th Century.
If you’re hoping to get a taste of Italian Wedding Soup at your next Italian wedding reception, don’t get your hopes up, nor should a new bride expect to inherit the recipe from her mother on the day of her wedding as long been rumored.
Not everyone agrees on the type of fish. There may not even be seven, but there could be more. Fried, baked, broiled, boiled, raw or otherwise, Christmas Eve for Italian Americans means fish. The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a celebration of food, family, and the Christmas holiday.
