What we call Thanksgiving, Italians call lunch

       Everybody wants to know what Ciccio thought of his first official Thanksgiving. Ciccio was in his element! Of course Thanksgiving is an American holiday, but having a gluttonous amount of food and family gathered around isn't a new concept for Italians; they do every day!
    
       When I first arrived in Trani, Italy, I dreaded lunch. In the south of Italy everything shuts down from 1pm to 5pm so you can go home and have a big meal with your family and a nap if needed.

        Lunch at the Todisco house usually consisted of Ciccio's mom bringing out a couple of different panini (sandwiches), panzerotti (fried heaven) and an assortment of meats & cheeses & olives.

       "Wow! What a great lunch!" I would say often.

       However, we weren't even close to be being done with the meal. Next came the pasta, then the seafood, then the grilled meat and definitely some kind of Dolce!

        I LOVE LOVE LOVE food, but honestly at first this everyday feast was torture for me. They sit at the table and eat and talk for hours!! No TV. No laptops. Nothing! I wanted to pass out in my plate of pasta.
    
       Yet as time went on I came to appreciate that special time when the world around you stops. It's just food, vino, and your loved ones. Nothing else mattered.

       Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, but Italians find time for food and family every day!

      So did Ciccio like Thanksgiving? Most definitely! He just wonders why it doesn't happen more often.

    -Monica