A typical Naples Nativity-set

In order to enrich the nativity-set it is necessary to go in San Gregorio Armeno street where you can find a multitude of stands and shops where artisans sell their unique and beautiful creations.

A shop in the San Gregorio Armeno street

The Naples nativity-sets tradition, in fact, is a real art mostly appreciable admiring the famous Cuciniello nativity-set and the other XVIII century creations preserved in the San Martino Museum.

Another element of the Christmas period in Naples is represented by the pipers that every year arrive in this city playing famous Christmas songs throughout all the urban streets. 

The pipers

The traditional Naples Christmas game is the “Tombola” (internationally known as “Bingo”): it is made up by 90 numbers and many cards of 5 X 5 grids containing some written numbers. A caller uses Tombola balls to call out each number and the other participants have to cover the called numbers on their cards if they are present on them.

You can play making little bets and then all the amount of money is divided in different prizes that should be matched to the different winnings: a player can win getting two, three, four or five horizontal consecutive numbers being rewarded with different sums of money. After having get five numbers in a row the lucky player shouts out “Tombola!” winning the most important prize.

The "Tombola" game

During the whole Christmas period many cultural and religious events are organized in Naples and in the surrounding cities of its coast.

For example the number 82 means “‘a Tavula ‘mbandita” (“a table set with food and drinks”). So if you dream of having such a feast you should play the lottery with the number 82. Naples inhabitants strongly believe in these correspondences and so they always use them to win the lottery.

Some pictures of the Naples "Smorfia"

Another example is represented by the number 56 that is connected to the act of falling but if you dream of falling into the sea the number you should use is 43 or if you dream of falling on the ground the number is 22.

The Naples "Smorfia" poster

The etymological origin of the name “Smorfia” probably derives  from the name “Morpheus”, the Greek god of dreams.

The “Lotto” lottery has a great tradition in Naples being also mentioned in many famous literary and theatrical local productions.

The first pieces of news about this miracle date back to the XIV century when, on the 15th of August 1389, many celebrations were occurring in Naples both for the day of the assumption of Mary into heaven and for the arrival in the city of some notables coming from Avignon. In that occasion even the San Gennaro memorabilia were publically shown. Exactly during those days the miracle happened for the first time: the San Gennaro blood, preserved in a cruet, became liquid.

From that time this miracle usually happens two times during the year: on May and on September. The inhabitants with the Naples archbishop and the local authorities devoutly pray in the Dome waiting for the miracle to happen even because it is considered a good omen.

The San Gennaro's Miracle

The Procession

The San Gennaro procession recalls the first translation of this Saint body. This religious parade is also called the “statues procession” because people carry the silver statues of the city’s Patron Saints. This event testifies the religious fervor of the Naples inhabitants who decorate their balconies with silk or brocade blankets, with lights and with flowers.  

The San Gennaro Procession

Among the main religious characters there is the addition of Razzullo who is a scribe sent in Palestine to do the census: this is a comic and popular character who is always hungry.

Throughout time this plot has been transformed and, at the end of the XVIII century, another character is added in this story: his name is Sarchiapone who is a barber who is escaping after having killed two people.

So as time went by, the original religious and moralist tone of this play became much more comic and profane.

Today in Naples this play is performed every year at Christmas by the Peppe Barra theatrical company .

The play's bill

Actors on the stage during the performance

The instruments used to produce this original music are:

- Wind, string and percussion instruments;

- Local popular instruments like the Puti-pu ( a terra-cotta pot covered by some drum skin characterized by a central hole. The player puts it under his left armpit while with his right arm he moves a stick up and down), the Scetavajasse (made up by two split reeds), and the Siscariello ( a sort of flute made up by a reed full of holes).

The Puti-pu

The Scetavajasse

- Foreign instruments like the Triccabballacco

The Triccabballacco

In general the fundamental instrument has always been the tambourine.

The Tambourine

This dance is characterized by three basic steps: firstly the dancers are on their feet, secondly they fall down and finally the move on the ground. However there also are many other movements whose origins are still unknown.

The Tarantella songs are metaphorically focused on the erotic-sexual sphere that is always closely connected to wine.

Between the XVIII and theXIX century, many international artists and intellectuals came in the Sorrento Peninsula and described the Tarantella in their works. Among the most famous travellers it is possible to quote: Goethe, Iohn Ruskin, the De Goncourt brothers, Gustave Flaubert, Maxim Du Camp, Henrik Ibsen and David Herbert Lawrence.

The Tarantella was firstly danced only by girls playing a tambourine, then also guys started to take a part in this folkloristic dance that was performed by one or more couples. Dancers played castanets and tambourines being accompaigned by other musicians and by the audience.

Because of its important collective meaning,  the Tarantella was danced especially during particular events like the grape harvest and the local Patron Saints celebrations.

This dance begins with the sweet meeting between two lovers whose love is suddenly complicated by volubility, bad mood and by indignation.

At this point the woman is conscious of her guilt and so she calms and she confesses what she has done trying to keep her man humbling herself by bending a knee to the ground. After this, her man victoriously starts moving around her lovingly helping her to stand up.

However something opposite suddenly happens: this time it is the man who demonstrated his unfaithfulness and so the woman shows him all her despise forcing him to bend in turn his knee to the ground. After this she forgives him and they show with their dance full of happiness and enthusiasm that their love is fulfilled.

The Tarantella

Every year on the 26th of August to celebrate Sant’Alessandro there is in Ischia the Historical Parade of the Ischia Costumes. Participants wear ancient costumes belonging to the different historical periods of  this island: from the Greek domination to the unification of Italy.

The parade starts after the sunset from the Aragonese Castle to go through the whole historical centre accompaigned by the flagger troupe. Finally this parade arrives in the port zone to stop in the Sant’Alessandro district where there will be the Mass in the Sant’Alessandro Church. After that, celebrations go on with music shows and local products tasting. The main aim of this event is which one of preserving the most typical Ischia traditions.

The Historical Parade

A raft ornamented with allegorical drawings

 This is a real attractive event characterized by a fascinating atmosphere.

During this parade there also is another magic moment that will leave you breathless: the blaze of the Aragonese Castle.

The Blaze of the Aragonese Castle

This feast finally ends with the classical and striking fireworks show.

The final fireworks show

After this event the inhabitants of Buonopane continued to fight against which ones of Barano until 1540 when a Barano guy fell in love with a Buonopane girl giving to her a belt as the symbol of their union. Unfortunately the girl lost her belt that was found by a Buonopane inhabitant and this inconvenient caused the beginning of a new fight between these two villages. However at the end people’s savvy won and peace was re-established by burning the belt in front of the San Giovanni Church. For this happy occasion the Buonopane inhabitants celebrated dancing and singing the ‘Ndrezzata. Still today local people recall the end of that fight each Easter Monday and on the 24th of June to celebrate San Giovanni.

Surely the ‘Ndrezzata has very ancient origins dating back to Greeks who firstly lived in Ischia calling it Pitecusa. The use of swords recalls, in fact, the training exercises that Greek soldiers did for war. The sticks recall another Ischia tradition: the action of beating houses roofs to make them resistant and compact.

The San Giovanni Church in Buonopane

The 'Ndrezzata

The Church in the Villa Jovis Ruines

The High Mass dedicated to the Holy Mary is celebrated on 8th  of September morning. The same day near the archaeological ruins there is the Piedigrotta Tiberiana: an event characterized by concerts and by local food tasting. In the past this feast was dedicated to the young couples of lovers who were used to come on the hill to take a love oath with the good omen of getting married during the current year. After the religious celebration they used to have a riotous time in honour of the Holy Mary.

The Villa Jovis Hill