sarah says:

This Italian-christmas idea sounds very interesting. Glad to see you’re interested by other cultures (nowadays, that’s very rare). Italy is an uncredible country. All my family is italian and i can’t stop thinking about how they celebrate Halloween, Christmas, birthdays etc … all the important invents. They are warm and generous people. Their culture is very rich and interesting, Well, the south culture. there’s nothing like an italian family (and I always miss mine) … talking about italian culture … you said a word, Gothman, a name: Fellini and everything was done. he was a genius, one of the best film maker in the history of cinema.
So, yeah, i really like this italian christmas idea ! what you have said Gothman is very interesting.
And well, 3 more Warhols’s gig, what else to ask ? ! maybe to come in France aha

we love you and waiting for you !

well i can tell you for the money la dolca vita honey is good … cool

sarah says:

I totally agree with you Lany ! Business and our society made those kind of events like christmas something commercial. That’s pity because we forget what really christmas is. Ok, i’m have no religion but i can understand what it means for other people. Christmas is also a moment to share with your family and the people you love. And i think, nowadays, that we don’t say often that we love people and our family and that we don’t care about important events. thats so sad.
Times are hard, very very hard. As you said Lany, people are losing their jobs, people are dying of terrible illnesses … so we don’t have to forget those kind of moment like christmas. By and by we ‘re losing almost everything but what is staying is love. Thank you Lany !

John says:

This sounds way better than the Christmas tradition I grew up with. The Dutch tell children if they are bad, Black Pete will throw them in a sack and take them away to Spain and they will never see their family again. Sinter Klass has made Satan his servant and they have a good cop/bad cop thing going. Good children get presents from Sinter Klass, bad children get kidnapped. I love being Dutch!

Jennifer says:

I’m celebrating the shows in Portland!!!!!!! Buying tickets for both! Woohoo!!!

My family and I spent Christmas several years ago in Italy with our friends who live just outside of Venice. It was on a farm in a small village, and the 80 year old grandmother cooked the entire multi course dinner over her old wood stove (and stubbornly refused to accept any help). A different wine accompanied each course, and the dinner took place over about 4 hours. Unhurried, you didn’t stuff yourself, and dessert was cheese and dried fruit. Lovely. My children still remember getting big kisses from Doselina after gathering eggs from her chicken coop. We agree that it is one of our nicest holiday memories.

Lany says:

John, please tell me you made that whole thing up for a future novel or movie. If you didn’t, that is absolutely dreadful. Here, bad children get a lump of black coal. You mean to tell me that where you’re from, the children pretty much or might as well be turned to black coal themselves? Do they atleast get to be whisked away in a magical flying sled so they can do some sight-seeing on their way to Spain? And are they properly returned to their parents after a year of bettering themselves? Wow….you must’ve been a saint growing up. I do suppose though, that if we had that kind of tradition here in the U.S., maybe we wouldn’t have child gangs and children killing their parents and going on wild gun shooting sprees in the schools. We’d probably just have a lot more screwed up adults trying to recover from the long childhood of nightmarish reverse-fairytales that would scare the crap out of them and keep them up at night trying to remember if they’d done anything bad lately.

John says:

It is hard to belive they tell kids this story. http://mymerrychristmas.com/2006/blackpeter.shtml

sarah says:

yeah, thank you John, That’s always a pleasur to know about other people’s culture and tradition ! it’s important to be open minded and not to focalize (?) on our own culture. By knowing other culture you can learn on your own culture and yourself … this year i’m learning Antropology, and there’s nothing more interesting than that ! it makes me wanted to know more and more about the other. And i realize how important it was … it’s fantastic ! (a little though for Mister Claude Levi-Strauss who died this week end).
Well ! thank you again John !

Mike says:

Sedaris is a hoot! He does confirm’s John’s story about the Dutch belief about the mythical holiday characters. Makes getting an Iphone from a whip toting fat bastard almost seem “normal”. In Verona- St. Lucia rides a flying donkey and throws ashes in bad kid’s faces- so it’s not all happiness and light at the base of the alps either…:)

sarah says:

you’re welcome Lany that’s always a pleasur to talk with interesting people !

martine says:

all of this is very ineresting ! i’m so impatient to be there ! hope to see you Jennifer !
xoxo bisous

Jennifer says:

Are you seriously coming Martine?? But that is so impulsive and fabulous! E-mail me and let me know your plans (benjenngabeelijah@hotmail.com). I’m going to the first show with my husband, and the second show with my oldest son and some of his friends. I would love to see you when you are in town.