CURIOSITIES
22/06/2007
PANETTONE AND ITS ORIGINS

The traditional Milanese Panettone, whose origin has given rise to fascinating legends thanks to the popular fantasy, was at the beginning nothing but a big piece of bread. The master of the house, who, before cooking it, cut a cross on it with a knife, as symbol of blessing, used to supervise its preparation. This big piece of bread was afterwards eaten by the family which was solemnly gathered for the traditional Christmas ceremony of the “ciocco”.
The father, or family man, used to cross himself and take a big stump, usually from an oak tree, he put it in the fireplace, added some juniper branches and lit the fire. He used to pour some wine in the goblet, spray it on the flames. He sipped it first and then passed it to the other family members who, in turn, tasted it. The father threw a coin on the stump, which burst into flames and after that he gave out other coins to the bystanders. Finally he was given three big pieces of wheat bread and, very solemnly, he cut just a little piece which was put aside and preserved until the following Christmas.
The stump represented the good and evil tree, the fire represented Jesus Christ’s work of redemption; the pieces of bread, progenitors of Panettone, were the symbols of the mystery of the Divine Trinity. From this old and fascinating tradition came two concepts: the belief of the “thaumaturgic power” of the rest of the “pangrande” eaten at Christmas, and the very “pangrande” as Panettone.