Giampaolo Anzizi is the very special e-mail friend from Italy who was kind enough to translate the text from the Normandia family crest.  He used to live in Nola, Italy, which is very close to Palma Campania where all of my ancestors are from.

Giampaolo Anzisi (at left) and his sister Antonietta's husband, Felice Manganiello, of Nola, Italy, near Felice's presepe.

When I told Giampaolo about my family's custom of eating seven different kinds of fish on Christmas Eve in "the old days" when I was little, he told me about his family's Christmas Eve foods.

"... baccala', alici (anchovies), calamari, polpo (octopus), seppie (cuttlefish),  vongole (clams). We don't eat eels (anguille) because, as you, my wife doesn't like them but my father-in-law eats.

"We also eat traditional desserts like baba', rococo', mustacciuoli, cauzuncielli and castagne (roast chestnut), finocchi (fennel), formaggi (cheese), mandarini e uva (tangerine and grapes) with pane (bread) and a good italian caffe'...."

Here are some pictures Giampaolo sent which were taken during the Christmas season, 2001.
 

baccala'	baba'
rococo', mustacciuoli, cauzuncielli	castagne (roast chestnut)
finocchi (fennel)	formaggi (cheese)

                       BELLA NOTTE

                       Oh, this is the night, it's a beautiful night
                       And we call it bella notte
                       Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes
                       On this lovely bella notte.

                       Side by side with your loved one
                       You'll find enchantment here
                       The night will weave its magic spell
                       When the one you love is near

                       Oh, this is the night, and the heavens are right
                       On this lovely bella notte!
 

                                 Music and lyrics by Sonny Burke and Peggy Lee, 1955

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