20 December 2010

Why I Love Italians

TO PUT IT simply: because they bring massive panettone to the staff room.

It is customary for each language section at our school to provide treats for the entire staff at least one time per year. The sections try to choose dates that relate to national holidays or significant events in their country's history. For example, we Americans provide food on Thanksgiving, the Spanish section bring treats for Fiesta Nacional in October, the Russians sometimes set up a spread on May Day, and the French bring wine and cheese to celebrate laïcité (seriously, the French teachers bring in red wine and cheese to celebrate the anniversary of the official separation of church and state Oh, but they still celebrate just about every religious holiday with a day off work!)

But the Italians? They bring in the treats on the last day before Christmas break and it's is always a giant panettone, some lemons and oranges from the Amalfi coast, and champagne. That's a great way to end the term.


The panettone, easily twice the height of a standard wine bottle, fed about 100 people,
Christine (white sweater) organized the event and cut the panettone.

I took home a couple lemons. Incredible.

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