When I was a young girl living in Italy, I particularly loved the holiday season that brought back delicious munchies such as torrone (Italian nougat), panettone (Italian Christmas cake), pepatelli (almond and honey biscotti), and the money that my nonno Antonio always handed me when arriving at our house.

Most of all, it signified that time had come once again to play Tombola: my favorite holiday game. Tombola is a board game that is similar to American bingo where numbers are drawn and prizes are won. But, the Italian tombola at our house was much more than just a board game. It was a special holiday event that reunited all the family members no matter the age, from the youngest to the oldest.