Happy Halloween

This year Halloween won’t be that important here, so I am reduced to living it through my friends. I have to give props to one of the most creative ladies I know, Britta. Her original passion is Halloween, and as I write I am watching the webcast of her yearly party. Her costumes are always really detailed and interesting (Corpse Bride this year), but it’s her recipes and decorations that really set her apart, and if you’re a Harry Potter fan, you have to check out her hand-designed invitations, recipes and other decorations for her Hogwarts parties. I was able to attend the latest one this summer when Book 6 was released.

This weekend it’s a 4-day weekend in Italy, due to the Nov. 1 “All Saints’ Day” on Tuesday, and that most companies decided to close on Monday, too, to create a ponte, or long weekend. November 2 is “All Souls’ Day” which is when most people would go to the cemetary to remember their relatives. Many now go on November 1 because they have the day off.

Just in case you’re not on the up-and-up in Catholicism, every day celebrates some Saint, or two, or seventeen. For example, my birthday on October 12 has the following Saints:

* St. Kenneth
* St. Canice
* St. Gummarus
* St. Alexander Sauli
* St. Anastasius V
* St. Ansillo
* St. Tharacus
* St. Sarmata
* Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos
* St. Firminus of Uzes
* St. John of Bridlington
* St. Juliana of Pavilly
* St. Nectarius
* St. Peter Tuy
* St. Placidia

That’s just one day! If you’re curious about which Saints fall on your birthday, check it out here

Actually, many Italians celebrate their birthdays and also their giorno onomastico or “Name(sake) day,” since most of them are named after Saints or christened with the name of a Saint. This is almost as big as the birthday – for example, my in-laws are named Michela and Michele, so they celebrate September 29th, St. Micheal. Gifts and well-wishes normally are included.

I am lucky because Sante, meaning “female Saints” technically will never fall on a certain day, so I don’t have to remember when his Saint day is. :D

Well, please make sure you read this article after you’ve eaten, or preferrably not around meal time…Dishes that require bravery I have to say the spiders is what gets to me.

And as a tribute to my native SF, an artist (who knows how much time she spent doing this) created SF in Jello Enjoy!