Holiday 2018 Issue
International School of Florence
Volume 7, Issue 4
What’s in this issue? 2018: A RECAP, 1 HUMANS OF ISF, 4 ISF STAFF’S FAVORITE HOLIDAY MOVIES, 5 DON’T FORGET HANUKKAH!, 7 THE WEIRDEST CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS WORLDWIDE, 8 WHAT TO DO IN FLORENCE DURING THE HOLIDAYS, 11 A SWEET CHRISTMAS, 13
STAFF Editor-in-Chief Isabella Lovalvo
Artists Grace Ihle Jacqueline Obert
Co-Editor Niccolò Platt
Advisor John Pitonzo
Layout Editors Giulia Oosterwijk Jacqueline Obert
Front cover by Jacqueline Obert Back cover by Grace Ihle
2018: A RECAP By Dante Fagotti 2018 has been a very busy year for most of us.
Virginia Man Wins Lottery After Numbers
As the year is coming to end, we would like to
Come to Him in a Dream
remind you of the positive and memorable things
Some people are just born lucky, like Victor
of 2018 and that there is always good and hope in
Amole of Virginia. After lottery numbers came to
the world, even during times of division and
him in a dream, Amole bought four Cash 5 tickets
conflict. The news has done an amazing job in
and played using the exact same number combo,
telling the tragedies, the hardships and the
winning a staggering $400,000 in the process.
difficulties of 2018. For this reason, this article serves the purpose of discussing the positive and memorable events of the year. Let’s begin! Anonymous Man Calling Himself Santa Picked Up the Tab for Dozens of Walmart Customers
Raccoon Climbs Minnesota Skyscraper and Becomes a Sensation A raccoon became an online sensation when it spent almost 20 hours scaling a 25-storey office tower in Minnesota. Updates on its progress were posted regularly by the Minnesota Public Radio under the hashtag #MPRraccoon. Crowds also gathered at the scene to watch. After having finished the climb, the raccoon was rescued and released back into the wild.
An anonymous man, photographed wearing a New England Patriots jacket, walked into a
Melbourne 'Trolley Man' gets 'incredible
Walmart store in Vermont and paid for every single
opportunity' to turn his life around
item on layaway. The value of the items could not be disclosed by Walmart but was said to be a lot.
Michael Rogers, a 46-year-old homeless man,
When asked who could afford to pay for so many
used a shopping trolley to help assist the police in
items, the man simply replied: “Santa Claus can.”
stopping a terrorist attack in Melbourne, Australia.
As one of the beneficiaries of this event stated: it
After the event, he turned himself into the police
shows “the true magic of Christmas, that’s the
for his past crimes with the intent of turning his life
Christmas spirit walking among us.”
around. A GoFundMe page raised $145,000 in order to aid him through this process. 1
World Bank Doubles Funding to $200 Billion to
Man Wins $4.38 Million on Free Lottery Ticket Anyone who thinks you never truly get something for free in life should tell that to Davenport, Iowa, resident Chuck Anderson. After purchasing a Powerball ticket, Anderson was given a free Lotto America ticket at a Kwik Star store in his hometown, and ended up winning a massive $4.38 million from it.
Fight Climate Change The World Bank has just announced that they will now be offering $200 billion in financing for the fight against climate change between 2021 and 2025. The World Bank’s $200 billion commitment is actually double the amount of its original 5-year investment plan that it set during the Paris meeting. Half of the money will come in direct financing from
Judge tells 30-year-old whose parents sued to kick him out An upstate New York judge ordered a 30-yearold man to move out of his parents’ house after they went to court to have him discharged. Michael Rotondo argued that as a family member, he was entitled to six months more time. State Supreme Court Justice Donald Greenwood rejected that as outrageous. Rotondo told reporters he’ll appeal. His parents, Mark and Christina Rotondo, brought the court case after several eviction letters offering money and other help were ignored.
the World Bank while the other half will be spent in loans and alternative assistance.
Bear Gets Ice Cream at Dairy Queen Berkley, a one-year-old Kodiak bear, enjoyed an ice cream cone at a Dairy Queen drive-thru. She lives at the Wildlife Discovery Park in Alberta, Canada. Researchers Develop Molecule That Can Finally Help Stop Arthritis From Wearing Down Joints Osteoarthritis, a disease that causes severe joint pain, affects more than 20 million people in the
Homeless Man Finds $17,000 Outside of Food Bank and Turns It In So It Can Help Feed Others Kevin Booth had originally planned to grab some of the free baked goods that are left outside of the Sumner Food Bank for people to take when the facility is closed at night. Instead, he saw a brown paper bag sitting outside the locked front door. Thinking that it held food, Booth opened the bag only to see that it contained stacks of $20 bills.
United States alone. Some drug treatments can help alleviate the pain, but there are no treatments that can slow the cartilage breakdown associated with the disease. MIT engineers have designed a new material that can administer drugs directly to the cartilage. The material can penetrate deep into the cartilage, delivering drugs that could potentially heal damaged tissue.
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The bag was collectively filled with $17,000 in cash. Needless to say, that money would have made a great difference to Booth, and there was no one around to know that he had taken it. But the 32-year-old says that he knew that the money would serve more people at the food bank, so he waited until volunteer Anita Miller arrived at the facility and gave it to her. Single Dad Walked 11 Miles To Work. Then His Co-Workers Found Out And Changed His Life.
“For a young person to decide, ‘If I can’t get a ride, then I’ll walk.’ … If a guy can do that, we can pitch in.” For seven months, Trenton Lewis walked the 11 miles from his home to the Little Rock, Ark., UPS facility where he worked. The commute took him three hours, but he had no car and a 14month-old daughter for whom to provide. He told no one how he got to his 4 a.m. shift each day and according to local news affiliates KATV, Lewis never missed a shift and was never late. His co-workers decided to pitch in and gave Lewis 2006 Saturn Ion so he could drive to work. New York Tiger Turns Out to Be Raccoon New Yorkers’ lack of experience with animals led to a misidentification in Harlem on April 12, when police responded to reports of a tiger roaming the streets. In reality, it was just an oversized raccoon.
Nasa InSight probe finally lands on Mars After a seven-month journey of more than 500 million kilometers, Nasa's Mars InSight probe has finally reached its destination and touched down on Mars. The probe aims to study Mars' deep interior, and make it the only planet - apart from Earth - that has been examined in this way. Studying Mars’s composition could lead to a scientific breakthrough of why it was once just like Earth and why it underwent so much change. Hero Garbageman Refuses to Flee Wildfires So He Can Check On Seniors Along His Route As news reports warned of the fires closing in on Magalia, California, Dane Ray Cummings’ boss warned him to stop working and get out of town; but Cummings put his own safety on hold, so he could check on the seniors who might need help. He went to 45 or 50 people to see if he could help them, making sure they were getting out. Luckily for Margaret Newsum, she was his last stop. Newsum was recovering from a broken back and as her caregiver had already left town, she was in desperate need of assistance. Cummings arrived and drove her to safety. Stuck in Airport for 7 Months, Refugee is Finally Given a Home Half a World Away Thanks to Canadian Stranger Hassan Al Kontar, one of many Syrians who fled the country as a means of escaping the war in 2011, was living in the “Arrivals” section of one of Malaysia’s airports, facing deportation back to Syria, after UAE refused to renew his visa. He decided to share his journey on social media. Shortly after, a woman named Laurie Cooper from Whistler, British Columbia, saw one of Kontar’s videos decided to help the man. Cooper negotiated Kontar’s release with the support of the Canadian government and a lawyer she hired, after he’d been arrested by Malaysian authorities and was being held in a detention center. Finally, after spending nine months without a home, Kontar landed in Vancouver, welcomed by Cooper.
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HUMANS OF ISF By Sophia Grella
Name: Gabriele
Name: Giulia
Grade: 11
Grade: 6
Favourite Christmas song: Jingle Bell Rock -
Favourite Christmas song: Feliz Navidad - Jose
Bobby Helms
Feliciano
Favourite part of Christmas: Skiing
Favourite part of Christmas: The snow and staying
Plans for this Christmas holiday: Skiing and being warm with family
Name: Riccardo Bini Grade: 8 Favourite Christmas song: Jingle Bell Rock Bobby Helms Favourite part of Christmas: Gifts Plans for this Christmas holiday: Going on a cruise in the Caribbean
Plans for this Christmas holiday: Skiing
Name: DaDrien Grade: 12 Favourite Christmas song: All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey Favourite part of Christmas: Family time Plans for this Christmas holiday: Getting ready for next year’s success 4
ISF STAFF’S FAVORITE BINGE-WORTHY HOLIDAY MOVIES By Sophia Lovalvo The Holiday - Mr.Dean
Desperation and a spur of the moment decision lead them to switch places, in avoidance of their loveless love-lives. Unfortunately, distance makes no difference and, both Iris, and Amanda end up finding exactly what they are running from, only this time, on opposite sides of the world. The Holiday is the perfect heart warming and hopeful tale of those who find happiness when they least expect it, and it is definitely a must see this Holiday. Home Alone - Ms.Zulkey
In the words of Mr. Dean, “ An absolutely brilliant holiday classic” and I can’t disagree. The Holiday starts with two recently single, young women feeling they are out of luck in the department of love. Iris, an newspaper columnist from England, hopelessly in love with her now engaged boss, and Amanda, an L.A. born entrepreneur, freshly out of a toxic relationship, ultimately decide that during the holiday season, the only thing they need a vacation from is love. “Home Alone will probably always be my favorite Christmas movie” - Miss Zulkey When unexpectedly clever, and sometimes bratty eight year old Kevin McAllister gets accidently forgotten by his family as they leave to France for the holidays, he first rejoices in his freedom and indulges in the lack of rules. However, when he notices burglars are trying to rob his house, he is forced to overcome his fears and use his outstanding
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Love Actually - Miss Shanley
wit to outsmart them. Kevin decides that while his family is gone, he is the man of the house. He takes on the duty of protecting his home, and builds a series of elaborate booby-traps in order to do so. His determination to protect his family and himself his endearing, but it will also have you downright jealous of his level of intelligence as a second grader. Even almost thirty years later, this charming holiday classic remains the perfect light hearted and humorous film to re-watch this Christmas season.
“ A really lovely story” - Miss Shanley “Love actually is all around us”... or, at least this is the theme that is continuously promoted throughout this feel-good holiday romcom. Love Actually focuses on nine intersecting stories and the role that love plays in the lives of their characters. Love can be destructive, and it brings chaos along with the happiness. This classic portrays the many struggles of love in all sorts of circumstances, in a light hearted, comedic, and very British way, confirming that love actually is everywhere, even where you least expect it. You will definitely laugh, and you might even cry, but luckily, as all good holiday movies should, this one comes with a pretty happy ending.
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DON’T FORGET HANUKKAH! By Jay Hughes-Ransley When I was younger, my family and I discovered that my mother was of Jewish descent. We had no idea, as it was on my grandmother's side, and she had never told us. After we found out, we decided to embrace our heritage and we started to celebrate Chanukah. Chanukah, which means “Dedication” in Hebrew and is also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of my favorite holidays. The first day of Chanukah marks the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and usually falls in November or December. It is an eight day celebration, also known as Hanukkah, which commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. According to legend, Jews rose up against their Syrian and Greek oppressors in the Maccabean revolt. In 166 B.C. Judah Maccabee, known as the “Hammer” became the leader and drove the Syrians out of Jerusalem, relying largely on guerilla warfare tactics. Judah called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild its altar, and light its Menorah. The Gold Candelabra had seven branches which represented knowledge and creation and were meant to be kept burning every night. According to the Talmud, one of Judaism's most central texts, Judah Maccabee and the other Jews who took part in the rededication of the Second Temple witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Â There was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the Menorah candles burning for a single day, but the flames continued flickering for
eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply. Our family starts the celebration with the lighting of the Menorah at sundown on the night before the 25th day of the Kislev calendar. We have traditional foods, games and gifts. Once we have lit the candles on the Menorah, we eat dinner, which consists of fried foods, my favorite potato latkes, as well as matzo ball soup and usually roasted chicken. After dinner, we play the Dreidel game, which is one of my favorite games. Each dreidel has four sides to its spinning top, Nun - Nothing, Gimel Everything, Hei - Half. Shin ¬ Put In. Each of us takes a dreidel and spins at the same time, we always play with a pot of chocolate coins, also called “Gelt”. According to most scholars, the Dreidel developed from an Irish or English top introduced into Germany known as Teetotum. It was popular around Christmas time and dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times. This theory states that when the games spread to Jewish communities unfamiliar with Yiddish, the denotation of the Hebrew letters were not understood. As a result, there arose Jewish traditions to explain their assumed meaning. Some claimed the Four letters ciphered Babylon, Persia, Greece and the Roman Empire. During the festivities, my mum plays Harry Belafonte's version of Hava Nagila, meaning “rejoice with a happy heart.” We eat lots of chocolate and celebrate our Jewish, Irish, German, and New Zealand heritage and are happy to all be together.
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THE WEIRDEST CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS WORLDWIDE By Isabella Lovalvo Recently, we at Tuskan Times were discussing strange Christmas traditions held by our families. While our editor maintains that her annual childhood reading of The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming was both bizarre and slightly traumatizing, another journalist told us about what he considers the strangest custom of all: the Poo Log. Confused, intrigued, and slightly disgusted, we took to the internet to learn more about this "crappy”tradition and ended up discovering countless other strange customs. What follows are four of the most bizarre. 1) Tio de Nadal
a bigger one several times) and ultimately “poop out” as many presents as possible come Christmas Day. When Christmas arrives, the children are taken away to a different room and told to pray that the log’s presents are plentiful; meanwhile, adults fill his hollow interior with edible gifts such as hazelnuts and candies. The children then return and place the log in the fireplace, ordering it to defecate and then proceeding to beat it with sticks until its innards are released. No, we’re not just pulling your leg; this is a real tradition. Think it can’t get any stranger? You’d be wrong; while beating the log, children sing a song that can be roughly translated as: “Poop, log! Poop nougats, hazelnuts, and mato cheese, If you don’t poop well, I’ll beat you with a stick. Poop, log!” We don’t know about you, but we’re more than a little interested in trying this tradition out ourselves. 2) Krampus
Though its name, meaning “Christmas log,” seems innocuous enough, this Christmas tradition is far from ordinary. Found in Catalan homes, the log is also known as Caga Tio, or “Poo log.” In the weeks leading up to Christmas, children often adorn the log with a painted face, and “feed” him every day, also covering him with a red blanket to prevent him from getting cold at night. Carefully looking after Caga Tio is essential to keeping him happy, so that he may “˜grow” larger (adults usually replace each log with
Nearly everyone’s familiar with the concept of Santa Claus, the benevolent semi-deity who
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rewards children for their good behavior with a stocking full of presents while leaving badly behaved children with lumps of coal (more on that later). In Austria, however, those who make the Naughty List are given a much more unsavory fate concerning Saint Nick’s evil counterpart: Krampus. Terrifyingly described as a half-goat, half-demon with long, dark, greasy hair, as well as enormous horns and menacing fangs, Krampus does more than bestow unwanted “gifts.” Instead, he is said to carry a stack of birch branches, or in some cases a whip, with which he hits naughty children. He also comes bearing enormous chains, as well as a large sack he uses to kidnap his victims, who he then kills, eats, or drags down to the underworld forever. And Krampus isn’t just some mythological being confined to archaic tales. Today, he remains popular in Austria, where an entire night, Krampusnaught, has been dedicated to his  malevolent, terrifying version of Santa’s visits. Some celebrate Krampusnaught by donning wooden masks or even entire costumes in his likeness, and the custom is currently experiencing new interest and greater participation in Bavaria. Additionally, cards bearing his image, known as Krampuskarten, have existed since the 1800s and still remain popular, doubtlessly haunting the nightmares of millions. Personally, we’re more than a little perplexed, but we can safely say that this gives an entirely new, malevolent meaning to, “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why,” at least in Austria.
panettone. It’s clear that around the world, there are certain foods without which Christmas seems impossible, but chances are that there’s one thing most would never consider--Kentucky Fried Chicken--unless, of course, they happen to be Japanese. The result of what could be argued as one of the most successful marketing campaigns of all time, KFC has successfully created an obsession with their products on Christmas Day, an event that is not even considered a national holiday in Japan, where less than 1% of the population identify as Christian. Legend has it that KFC realized the campaign’s potential sometime in the 70s, when American expats began to turn to fried chicken after failing to find turkey, something especially hard to come by in the country. Since then, the campaign has achieved extreme popularity with the Japanese, featuring the slogan “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” or “Kentucky for Christmas!” On the big day, queues outside of the establishments go on for hours, with many opting to pre-order their “Christmas Chicken” box (which now also features cake and champagne, and sells for around $40) months in advance. Though the tradition may seem quite odd to those who are not from the country, many point to the lack of Japanese Christmas customs, as well as the campaign’s non-religious, commercial, American qualities as reasons for its unprecedented success. Whatever the case, it still makes for one unique
3) KFC for Christmas? Ask an American to think of a Christmas staple, and they’ll undoubtedly name turkey. Germans, meanwhile, will probably point to stollen, while Italians will praise the utter deliciousness that is
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4) Coal in Your Stocking? Ok, we know this is a controversial pick for the list, as you’ve definitely heard of it before. Naughty children receiving coal in their stockings has become a fact of Christmas, ingrained in many of our heads since childhood. Arguably, however, many have never stopped to consider just how strange it is. First of all, why coal? It seems such an
choices. While not being so environmentally friendly, coal, as opposed to these materials, is still quite useful, especially if the naughty child in question happens to be a budding artist. The strangest thing is that this tradition isn’t just limited to Santa Claus; it actually predates the jolly old man by centuries, featuring in the tales of the Dutch Sinterklaas (an earlier, similar version of Santa) as well as La Befana, a witch who, according to Italian tradition, delivers gifts on Epiphany Eve.
arbitrary choice for a “˜present” for a badly-
Though we may never fully grasp its origins,
behaved child. Some point to its use for
it’s interesting to note how odd such a common,
convenience’s sake; Saint Nick does traditionally
well-known tradition actually is. And with an
enter one’s house through the chimney, after all, so
estimated two billion people celebrating the holiday
it wouldn’t be any trouble for him to simply place
every year, who knows how many more strange,
some of its contents into a stocking. But using this
horrifying, or hilarious Christmas customs are still
logic, why don’t bad children get ash, or firewood?
waiting to be discovered?
In fact, these are perhaps the more appropriate
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WHAT TO DO IN FLORENCE DURING THE HOLIDAYS By Omid Sheikh As we all know, the holiday season of Christmas and other religious traditions is coming up. The city in which you are in now is going to light up in the holiday spirit and bring many other festive assortments as well. The atmosphere of Florence completely changes and you can feel the holiday spirit in the city and the people. Here are some things you can do in Florence during Christmas, for people from any age. Visit he Weihnachtsmarkt German Market Every year, the German community of Florence
Christmas Eve Mass in the Duomo
comes together in Piazza Santa Croce to form the famous carnivalesque German Market or in another, more complicated way to say it, The Weihnachtsmarkt. What makes this market so famous is the fact that it is situated in front of one of the oldest cathedral in Florence. The market offers authentic traditional German food and beverages such as sausages with sauerkraut and beer. At the market, you can also find artisans with excellent craftsmanship and it might even tickle your fancy to buy a souvenir. I suggest you to go to the market not only to be immersed in the Christmas atmosphere but also learn and try new foods. Make sure not to miss out on this event because it ends a few days before christmas.
If you're feeling more traditional, then you should attend Christmas Eve Mass in Duomo. If you don't know where and what the cathedral of Duomo is, then you must be living under a rock. This magnificent cathedral is known worldwide by every artist and architect. What's so amazing about this monument besides its sheer size and how they managed to stack these bricks back in 1296 with only a system of pulleys, is that it's yet not known how the dome is still standing and how its so stable. Also the art and decoration inside is another story on its own and the christmas tree dressed with festive ornaments truly creates a christmas atmosphere. This is the best way to experience Christmas in Florence, you should also remember if you want to attend then you should go quite early because it gets very busy very quickly. The Nutcracker at Teatro della Pergola Every year on the 23rd of December one of the most important and prestige theaters in Florence hosts this wonderful ballet performance. This time you might feel more theatrical; if so then you must go and see
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the famous Nutcracker at Teatro della Pergola. Nutcracker is one of the most intricate ballet performances made by the German composer, E.T.A. Hoffman. Throughout the years there were many different versions of this performance, but Teatro della Pergola hosts the best one, I would even say that Hoffman might be a little jealous. Remember to reserve tickets if you want to go because it tends to sell out fast. Ice Skate in Florence I bet you thought you can't ice skate in Florence, but guess what you can! Disclaimer, it's not on the Arno river but relatively close to it. A few minutes outside the city center of Florence you can skate for however long you want. In the Winter Park of Florence you can rent out the boots and skate for as long as you want and take my word: very fun. What's so great about it is that it's the closest thing to touching snow or dreaming of that white Christmas because in Florence it rarely ever snows. After you skate and you get hungry, you can exit the rink, take off your
boots, and go to the restaurant next to the rink and eat a slice of pizza, even two. I highly recommend to go with friends and family. A Nice Walk in Florence If none of the things I suggested is your preference, then a simple walk around the city will do just fine. I recommend to start from Pizza Michelangelo and walk down the steps to the city in the morning, around 9:30. This will give you plenty of time to even go to the Boboli Gardens and come back to Santo Spirito to have a nice traditional meal. After your meal, you can slowly make your way to the British institute and admire the vast amounts of books and the sheer tranquillity. You might even yourself find reading The Christmas Carol with a nice cup of hot chocolate. After a nice break, you then find yourself walking in the Christmas lit city of Florence, going from Ponte Vecchio, to Palazzo Vecchio, to Duomo, and back to Piazzale Michelangelo where you will see Florence in all its beauty during Christmas. All these activities are a wonderful way to spend Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other event for those staying in Florence. Happy Holidays!
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A SWEET CHRISTMAS By Grace Ihle Every culture has different, yet vibrant Christmas traditions that harness the joyous and peaceful nature of this season. If your goal for this season is to sit by the fire with your loved ones or enjoy a book with a sweet seasonal drink, look no further than the classic American Christmas drink, eggnog. Whether you’re a seasoned eggnog drinker or a curious first-timer, this recipe is one that I’ve used for years to share with family and friends, and it has always been a favorite. It has richer flavor than a typical carton of store-bought eggnog, yet is still simple enough to make in the last few minutes before your Christmas party. (this recipe contains raw eggs, so please consume at your own risk) OLD-FASHIONED EGGNOG
Blend together sugar and egg yolks 1.
In a bowl, whisk in the milk and panna and continue to whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
2.
Add nutmeg and vanilla and mix.
3.
(Optional) Add in brandy or rum in intervals, until it reaches your liking.
4.
Chill, and serve with cinnamon dusted on the surface
Enjoy!
12 egg yolks 320 grams (1.5 cups) sugar 1 liter full fat milk 500 ml panna (Optional) 250 ml (1 cup) Rum or brandy 1 teaspoon nutmeg Vanilla extract or vanilla sugar Cinnamon
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