Resources
Art,
Cuisine,
Famous Italians,
Festivals,
Folklore,
Genealogy,
Holidays,
Hotels,
Photos,
Real Estate,
Sports,
Travel and
More
Guides
Buying Property Guide
City/Island Guides
Inheritance Guide
Regional Guides
Surname Collection
Add your name to the collection.
Recipes
Authentic Italian recipes for you to enjoy.
Photo Galleries
Enjoy photos of Italy, wine making & more.
Proverbi
Proverbs in Italian & English.
Our Paesani
Weekly column dedicated to today's Italy. by Francesca Di Meglio
Italian Memories
Articles on growing up Italian. by Cookie Curci
Una Mamma Italiana
Articles for Italian mammas. by Tiffany Longo
Learn Italian
English-Italian guides Spanish-Italian guides.
Molto Italiano
Sign up for our FREE newsletter.
Trivia
Test your knowledge of Italy.
|
The Italian Ceppo
by Anthony Parente
Italy is an exciting place during the Christmas season. Italian Christmas customs are as varied as the Italian people. One of these varying customs is called the "Ceppo." For some Italians the Ceppo refers to a Yule log. The log was burned in the fireplace during the Christmas season and it had many significant meanings. Some of these included the purification of the fire, the image of the sun and the symbolic burning away of the accumulated evils of the old year. Sometimes the children would be blindfolded and given a long stick to strike the burning log. This would cause sparks to fly up the chimney. Once the children removed the blindfolds they would find a small gift. The ashes from the log where kept so they could be sprinkled on the fields during the spring as a sign of good luck for the new crops.
Not all Italians associate the Ceppo with a log burning in the fireplace. For those Italians the Ceppo refers to a pyramid shaped structure made of wood. This tiered tree was believed to have started in the Tuscan region of Italy. The tiered tree would contain three to five shelves and the frame would be decorated with fringe or fancy paper. On the bottom shelf the family would display their treasured "Presepio" (crèche or Nativity scene). The remaining shelves would contain greenery, fruit, nuts and presents. The presepio would represent the gift of God, the fruit and nuts would represent the gifts of the Earth and the presents would represent the gifts of man. The top of the Ceppo would be adorned by an Angel, star or a pineapple, which represents hospitality. Some families would attach candles on the outside of each shelf and light them. This is why the Ceppo is often referred to as the "Tree of Light."
There are many varying customs throughout Italy during the Christmas season. Please take the time to share these customs by sending me an email message.
Buon Natale!
|
Share |
|
|
|
|
Follow Us |
|
|
Featured Item
 Buy Now American Grown With Italian Roots Shirts & Novelties
Partner Links
Shops/Stores
Italiansrus Gear
Proudly display the colors of Italy with these great products.
FORZIERI.com
The world largest online retailer for Premium Italian Fashions.
Travel
Booking.com
|