Today’s word is surely one you’ll relate to at this time of year: gli avanzi are ‘leftovers’.

And because Italian Christmas dinners are too big for anyone to finish, we assume you’ve still got these your kitchen.

Stasera mangeremo gli avanzi della cena di ieri.
Tonight we’ll eat the leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.

The term comes from the verb avanzare (‘to advance’), and it refers to what’s left behind once everything else has gone.

While gli avanzi (plural noun) are the leftovers themselves, you might also hear people use the adjective form to refer to il cibo avanzato (‘leftover food’).

The good news is that, just as in many other countries, the week between Christmas and New Year in Italy is seen as an opportunity to relax, take some time off work, gather together with family and polish off all that food.

Meatballs, panettone sandwiches and fish tacos: a few of Pour Femme‘s ideas for how to recycle Christmas leftovers. 

So get creative with your avanzi this week and above all, make sure you fit in a lie-down. Buon appetito! 

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