I am waxing nostalgic and sharing this love letter to my former home, the nation’s capital, in the wake of the Trump Capitol insurrection.

Some places will stay with you. The memories of the place stick to you like your DNA. Washington, D.C. has always been that place to me. As a bright-eyed 17-year-old girl, I went to the nation’s capital for the first time. A friend of mine and my teachers had recommended me, then the captain and MVP of my high school debate team, to be part of the National Young Leaders Conference. I don’t think that conference exists anymore. And, yes, my glory days were spent on the debate team. …

Find out how Italians celebrate the Epiphany on January 6 and learn all about the Italian Christmas witch.

Buona Befana! This is the greeting Italians share with one another on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. It marks the end of the holiday season and recognizes the arrival of the three Magi to baby Jesus’ manger. As a religious feast, the Epiphany also is a celebration of the realization that Jesus was God incarnate and thus the Savior.

As a secular holiday, Italians usually have a special meal that includes sweets and bread with their loved ones. And the children get gifts from La Befana. In fact, in my father’s day, there was no Santa Claus or Babbo Natale for Italian kids. There was only La Befana and she came on the night of January 5 while everyone was tucked in their beds. She would leave tangerines, nuts, a pencil for school, and some chocolates in your socks or shoes. …

I spend much of my time talking to MBA students, administrators, and professors at the best business schools in the world. Discover their advice.

Businesspeople are the masters of job hunting and networking, which is why they have the best career tips. After all, business schools train students to build a long-term career that reaps professional and financial rewards. Much of this training happens in the career centers at top MBA programs, such as University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, London Business School, and more.

As a reporter for global business publications and websites, I have spent hours and days recording the advice of administrators and professors at these schools and countless MBAs who have been through these programs. In our conversations, I’ve learned a thing or two about the job hunt. Right about now, you could probably use the advice, too, so read on. …

Find out how I’m dealing (or not dealing) with the fact that the pandemic upended all my plans for my son’s first year of life

In November 2019, while I was at the hospital with my newborn son Pasquale, I held him in my arms and looked at his delicious little face. I whispered to him that I had big plans for his big brother Enzo and him. First, we would celebrate Thanksgiving with guests from Italy, who were coming to meet him. Then, we’d have a big party for his baptism and Christmas with our extended family in the United States and more family from Italy. …

Discover the annual tradition of building an artistic nativity scene that takes people far beyond Bethlehem and the manger

In Naples, Italy, some families will have a Christmas tree but all Catholic families will have a presepio or nativity scene. A few will be simple manger scenes typical of what you’d see anywhere during the holidays. But most will be an elaborate artistic expression. …

Discover the traditional Christmas Eve menu full of seafood and sans meat for Italians and those of us living in Italian America.

Christmas Eve, known as la Vigilia di Natale in Italy, is the true holiday for Italians. Certainly, we exchange gifts on Christmas morning and have a lovely lunch all together. But our feast with the extended family and friends happens the night before Christmas. It is when we eat fish, only fish.

There is a lot of misinformation about the Feast of the Seven Fishes. This is a tradition of mostly southern Italians. Some northerners and modern southerners will eat meat on Christmas Eve. Italians who have moved to other places indulge in meat on Christmas Eve. That’s okay. …

Discover the joys of cooking with your children and the benefits it provides.

“I love cooking with you, Mommy,” says my 9-year-old son. “Let’s do it more.”

At the time, he was using his little hands to wield a knife to cut off inches of dough. He was following the instructions of the Taralli Sisters, who were hosting a virtual cooking class to teach kids and their parents how to make Occhi di Santa Lucia, a sweet treat traditionally served in parts of Italy on St. Lucy’s Day (December 13).

Find out how to become your own boss, work from home, and earn a living from someone who has been a freelance writer for nearly two decades.

My plan always was to become a freelance writer. First, I was going to work on staff at different publications as a writer and editor. However, I ended up changing course 7 years earlier than I had anticipated. Sometimes, life makes these kinds of decisions for you.

At the time, I had injured my knee and ended up needing to work from home with flexibility to go to doctor’s appointments and regular physical therapy. It took two years and three surgeries to correct my knee. …