E Natale, Tanti Auguri A Tutti - It's Christmas, Best Wishes To All

Ciao a tutti,

About a year ago I did a show in New York and artist fan of mine came up to me during a meet and greet and showed me a sketch that he had made of me. I was quite taken by this, especially since he had done other another art piece of me before. It was a collage actually that he gifted me at another show a few years back.

The artist is Anthony Mancini and this is the sketch that he made of me. He said at the time that he wasn't quite finished with it, so he couldn't give it to me then. Now, I received an E-mail with this surprise. In the E-mail, he wished me a Buon Natale from him and his wife, and then included not only a scan of the sketch that he had done, but one that was modified especially for the Season.

I got such a kick out of it, I thought it would include it here in my Christmas blog post. Grazie Anthony, I am honored and touched. And grazie to all of you who have been following this blog, our Filippo and the Chef Show, and all who are part of my beautiful and growing family. Wishing you all a Buon Natale, Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart.

Con affetto,

Filippo

P.S. I found this video on Youtube yesterday and I found it humorous. The protagonist is just irreverent enough for my taste and thought it would put a smile on your faces. It is a man who calls himself Marcello Mastrantonioni and he has a series of Italian language short videos.

The lesson, at least this particular Christmas lesson, is tongue in cheek and he teaches the viewer how to say the "appropriate" Christmas phrases in Italian. (In English and Italian)

Buona Pasqua (Happy Easter) - From Filippo and the Chef

Ciao a tutti,

Buona Pasqua (Happy Easter) from Filippo and the Chef, (Chef Richard).

Artist Anthony Mancini from New York did it again with this great graphic he sent us for Easter as a greeting from him and his wife Grace and as a gift to not only us, but now to all our fans.

Grazie Tony and a Happy Easter to all.

Filippo

P.S. Growing up every year I would hear from my Mother and Grandmother how Easter, and Easter morning especially, was celebrated in the town in Italy in which they grew up. They would tell us that each town in Italy had their own tradition but that most of the traditional ways of celebrating the morning of Easter would involve Statues of Jesus and Mary being paraded through the streets.

In my Mother's particular town the two statues would start at separate ends of the town and then meet in the middle of the piazza in front of the main cathedral. The statues where then moved to animate them to express the joy Mary had in encountering her risen son.

This ritualistic procession is known as l'Incontro, or the Encounter. Every town did it differently. But you will get a good idea of the processions from the videos below.

This first video is quite unique, if you don't have time to see them all, I would recommend seeing at least this one.

See also the joy of the people when the procession is done. It is quite moving actually how the ritual helps the celebration be complete. (In Italian)