It’s Columbus Day!

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Today we in the States commemorate the “discovery” of America by Genoa’s Favorite Son, Cristoforo Colombo or, as we locals prefer to call him, Christopher Columbus. As is our custom, the Kitchens would like to share a song in honor of the holiday.

We imagine that the question in this song’s title was asked, for the very first time, of Cristoforo by Queen Isabella in response to his request for her financial support of his return voyage to the New World. It has been asked millions of times since, although the lyrics do not necessarily apply any more today than they did back in Isabella’s day.

(Don’t worry if your knowledge of the Italian language is as limited as mine. Here’s a side-by-side translation of the lyrics.)

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Enjoy the holiday and wishing our good Neighbors to the North a most happy Thanksgiving.

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48 thoughts on “It’s Columbus Day!”

  1. Oh John: How delightful!! I DO so hope you are enjoying Columbus Day and all that baseball barracking for the Chicago Cubs 🙂 !! [You are making a ‘fan’ looking and learning this side of the ocean!] Such a great offering after today’s so-called ‘Second Debate’!!! Of course I do have that little issue about Leif Eriksson having been there a fair while first, but methinks we’ll let that go 🙂 !!

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    • Yes, the “debate”. I only watched about half. Truth is, nothing could be said to change my vote so, for me, it’s a useless endeavor. Besides, My Cubs are just 9 victories away from winning the World Series. I spent much of my evening watching any/all baseball-related programming, paying particular attention to the Cubs-related segments. This doesn’t happen around here very often and I’m taking full advantage. A win tonight would end San Francisco’s playoff hopes for 2016. You know what I’ll be doing tonight. 😀

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        • Well, we just lost, after 13 innings. (“Normal” games finish in 9.) It’s a sign of my team’s heart that they didn’t want to embarrass their opponents. Let them win a game so that they can go home and face their families with their heads held high. Tomorrow is another day …

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    • But, but, but, it was an Icelander well over five hundred years before who did get there first . . . fair go amigos !!! Let us have some history teacher drumming a few facts into us 🙂 !! In no way do the facts stop from us appreciating that which is offered . . .

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  6. John – One of my favorite songs, but I have never heard this performance of it. Love it!

    Am excited that your book is due to arrive any day now. Sadly, no mail on Columbus Day, but sometimes Amazon delivers on holidays! My fingers are crossed!

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    • Thank you so much, David, for purchasing one of our cookbooks. I do hope you’ll the recipes and the stories that still, to this day, give my family members reason to laugh.

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      • Both Mark and I are enjoying it immensely! It reminds me a lot of my aunt’s husbands famous, who were from Sicily. Looking forward to trying the recipes!

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  7. Oh wow! Fun music! I can see myself sitting at a red checkered tableclothed table in a little restaurant with wood and metal scrolled chairs, sun streaming in through the front window. And a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of me with a glass of chianti in hand, tapping my foot to the music.
    Happy Columbus Day.

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  10. Felice giorno di Cristoforo Colombo! I LOVE this song 😀 My current ring tone on the mobile is “C’e la luna mezzo mare” (which you’ve also featured here) but I may have to change to this one. The problem is I’m always slow to answer the phone as I love dancing around to the music…much to the amusement of those around me!

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    • What I would pay to see that dance! For years, my ringtone was Jeanette MacDonald singing Indian Love Song. I was on the receiving end of plenty of strange looks if my phone “rang” when I was out in public. 😉

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      • Darn you, John Amici . . . now you have me listening to ‘When I’m calling you, you, you . . . ‘ Actually, after quite some years of not having listened, the dear NE did not have a bad voice either . . .’ . . . thanks for the memories . . . and the huge smile on my face . . .

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        • Back – NO apologies, ’cause you surely had the most intelligent ringtone of any of us! It’s ‘bugged’ me t’out the morning’s work – OK, slow idiot me : “When I’m calling you ‘ . . .etc etc ‘You’ll answer me . . ‘ ‘etc etc etc . . . OK, can be stupido, but usually not as badly as that before 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  11. Happy celebration, John. I loved the song in Italian, peppy melodies and even though I couldn’t get the lyrics I enjoyed tapping to the rhythm. I preferred not to know what they are singing – a bit like opera. 🙂
    When it comes to visionaries trying to get their ideas financed, nothing it seems has changed. I’m going off to listen to that song again.

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  12. il simpaticissimo e bravissimo Carosone è una degna e allegra cornice per onorare il grande navigatore! hai avuto una gran bella idea!
    il giorno della festa è passato, ma l’America da lui scoperta resta!
    buona e serena giornata John

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  14. Hope you had a relaxing holiday day. We celebrate the originally-titled Australia Day, when Australia was ‘discovered’ by James Cook. Funny how the Aborigines, who have been living here for at least 20,000 years, didn’t know that the land had yet to be discovered 😉

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    • You have made me sadly smile! If I may correct you, it is actually over 40,000 years of people who knew what ‘sustainability’ was and looked after their land! Personally, being rather fond of our SBS programmes, I still get a huge buzz when I hear the night ‘call off’ remembering its original tribe residing . . . makes me feel grounded and ready for sleep . . .

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  15. I love the lyrics of that song, John, and I’ve never heard that arrangement before. We can count on you to introduce an appropriate homage to Columbus. :-)When I was a child we enjoyed a school holiday on Columbus Day, but that’s no longer true, at least not for my granddaughters. I remember being somewhat awed by Christopher Columbus and he was introduced almost as a hero. I think that alone should indicate my age! 🙂 This was a fun post!

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