Countdown to Christmas 2016, Venice Style - Day 6

Ciao tutti!

One of my friends here in Venice came up with a very unique Advent calendar this year. I can't help myself, I have to share it here.  Thanks, Paolo. 

Brilliant idea, isn't it? 

Now, back to what is in store behind door #6. 

Today, I'm taking you on a walk to Rialto Bridge to meet a friend, Marco Jovon. Marco and his family have operated a jewellery shop on the bridge since 1934, first opened by Marco's grandfather. 

Walk into Gioielleria Eredi Jovon and you are walking into a unique part of Venice's past and present.  The tradition started by Marco's grandfather, continued on by his father Bruno is now proudly carried on by Marco, his mother Gabriella and the rest of the family. 

But Jovon's isn't just any ordinary jewellery shop. Marco hand carves exquisite one-of-a-kind cameos. At the shop you will find many works of art of Marco's own design, or you can request a custom design just for you.  

Marco and Giorgio, always ready to greet you with a smile.

The ancient tools for cameo engraving are still in use today.

Amazing, cameos all start from a shell similar to this one. 

photo www.eredijovon.com
One of Marco's latest creations, a blue cameo with woman at the Rialto bridge.

Inside the shop  a small cameo museum displays an unusual collection of family pieces. Jovon also sells other types of jewellery, including corals and Murano glass. 

I'm honored to be able to share another wonderfully talented Venetian artisan with you as part of my Countdown to Christmas, Venice style.  Hopefully, as you are walking over the famous Rialto bridge you will take a minute to stop in to meet Marco and his family, and perhaps take home a special cameo too. 

 You can find Gioielleria Eredi Jovon, San Marco 5325, on the Rialto Bridge.

For more information check out their website http://www.eredijovon.com/en/ or like their page on Facebook. Marco has written an ebook about cameos which is available for download on the website. 

To see my Countdown to Christmas 2014 - Day 6 post,  Just click here.  It's one of my favorite posts from that year - lucious cioccolata calda con panna (hot chocolate with creme)! Makes me want some right now. 

Today's advent calendar thanks to digsdigs.com.

Have a favorite post so far in this series?  Which Advent calendar did you like best? Suggestions?  I'd love to see your comments, so please leave a note for me in the comments section here. 

Ciao, Ciao!

Buon Natale!

Buon Natale! Merry Christmas!

Wishing all of you a very happy holiday season. 

Karen and Mike

Countdown to Christmas - Italian Style! December 12

                                 photo courtesy www.thedishmadison.com


We've made it to Day 12 (dodici)!!!!  We're half way to Christmas already!

I must admit, I'm jumping the gun a tiny little bit with my choice for today. I intended to wait until closer to New Year's Eve with this one, seeing as it is a New Year's Eve Italian tradition- but...
as soon as I saw a vendor at the mercatino the other day with an enormous bin of red underwear for sale, I could not resist.

All over Italy, everyone wears red underwear (mutande) on New Year's Eve (notte di San Silvestro or vigilia di capodanno) for good luck.  There is no rule that it has to be new red underwear, but just in case you needed some, shops start advertising and selling red underwear early in December. Thus, the bin of red mutande!  Everyone, and I mean everyone, believes in the red underwear tradition. Babies, toddlers, moms, dads, even the 95 year olds will all be sporting red underwear.  You can't take any chances when good luck is involved, so you might just as well give it all you've got.

I had to rummage around in this bin for a while. I just could not help myself. Every size and shape underwear you can imagine was in that bin. Everything from itty-bitty thongs to big granny pants. And people were buying.

It wasn't just this industrious vendor over at the local mercatino getting ready for New Year's Eve, either. I passed several high end shops in the San Marco district displaying beautiful red lingerie in their windows.

There doesn't seem to be any requirement that you be Italian to do the wearing of the red underwear for good luck. So, I'm sharing the tradition with all of you. Why not tuck a little bit of red into  the Christmas stockings of all your family members this year?  Who is with me on this? 

Buon Natale!