More Differences between an Italian Christmas and a Texan Christmas

2. Fruit Cakes. Here in Italy the Panettone is treasured. Grocery stores and bakeries set up veritable entrenchments of panettone boxes in the aisles. (Pyramid-shaped boxes, like that one on the right, that come with their own nifty handle.) They come in an assortment of flavors, but the tried-and-true, original fruit cake variety is the most popular. The Italians go nuts for them. In December, every pedestrian in Rome can be seen carrying a Panettone home to their loved ones. An obvious cultural difference to the implied "I don't like you very much," that comes along with the five fruit cakes sent in the US each year. The origin of that difference? Another one of the Great Roman Mysteries. The cakes taste just as good as they do in the states-- like the overly-browned crust of a dry yellow cake with bits of crunchy raisins and nuts. (As opposed to the cakes with bits of gelled fruits and nuts in the states.)

3. Media. This Christmas I did not see Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Very Special Peanuts Christmas, Kiss Saves Santa, or 24 hours of A Christmas Story. I also did not have to listen to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Jingle Bell Rock," or Holiday Favorites on Muzak.

4. The Santa Experience. He comes here too. He's still pulled by reindeer, and he brings presents. He also fills the stocking, BUT he does not put all the candy and trinkets in your stocking that he brought for you. Why? Because a witch attacks his sleigh every Christmas Eve, beats the reindeer with her broom, and takes off with half the loot. Then 12 days later on the Day of the Epifany, she brings it back. Maybe she feels guilty after living with candy for 12 days. Maybe she nibbles away until she gets full. Another Great Mystery.

Post Script I decided to do a little investigating into La Befana (the witch) to get to the bottom of this 12-day hostage of candy. And here is one reason why I believe you should never make judgments about a culture until you know the language.
Apparently La Befana represents the visit of The Wise Men to an old lady during their voyage. She gave them a place to stay, but declined their offer to join them in the search for the Christ child. To this day she regrets that decision and is still looking for the Christ Child (inexplicably filling stockings with candy and coal and sweeping floors across Italy along the way).

I suppose when the waitress told Jack and I about La Befana, we misinterpreted her pantomimes and the little Italian we knew, and instead of "she sweeps your floor" we got "she beats the reindeer." And we've been spreading this bastardized version across the world.