If you're like me, the holidays can be the most joyful, fun time of year, but when you bring your big, loud foreign family into the mix, it can turn into the craziest and loudest event EVER. I have a very big Italian family, and during the holidays we make enough food to practically feed all of Michigan. There is nothing more I love than my big, loud, annoying, Italian family. They have made holiday's so memorable growing up, and make me value the importance of being close to relatives! Yeah, their in my business all the time, and hey, they're pretty nuts - but I wouldn't change a thing.

Everyone is yelling? Why are we yelling? You are RIGHT next to each other?

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I'm not sure about you, but in my family we scream and shout even when we are sitting literally right next to each other. Is everyone deaf? Probably not, it is just a natural instinct. You also have about 5000 different conversations flying back and forth across the table. The louder, the better!!!

You start with appetizers, then go to the first course, then add the second , followed by a bigger third course, and finished with extreme amounts of deserts/fruits/etc. 

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Basically, CARBS. More Carbs. And a final round of CARBS. I may be stuffed after 2 courses, but my Nonna always finds a way to whip up even more food than I can physically contain in my body, which usually results in a 3 hour nap afterwards from a food coma.

You have that one aunt that gets all up in your business!

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She wants to know do you have a boyfriend? What does he look like? Is he Italian? Does he have a job? Where does he work? Is he polite? He better have manners! What are you studying in school these days? Ma! Did you lose weight, you look skinny, go eat some pasta! This is then followed by a round of 200 more questions from your Nonna, cousins, etc.

You hear words from the motherland flying across the room

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In my family, the Sicilian slang bounces across every conversation. You got my Nonno yelling about some guy he just did business with, my Zio's screaming over who's winning poker, and my Zia's are all talking about the gossip from our third cousin's daughters son's kid they saw on Facebook.

You walk in the door and greet all 18 of your first cousins, the 25 second cousins you have, your grandparents, and can't forget about all your aunts and uncles!

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It is a rule in my family that when your family walks in the door, you sprint and better greet them within 5 seconds of them entering. It is as if Jesus himself has made his entrance through the front door. Shortly after, you greet all 200 of your cousins. Finally, the arrival of 90 other extended family members who made their way over to your house via plane from the motherland.

The amount of food is so ridiculous, you have left overs for 5 weeks.

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The leftovers going to waste is a complete sin in my family. Eating mashed potatoes and Christmas ham is your dinner every night for the month of January. "You want pasta? Good, we got it for the next 4 weeks ahead, you're welcome, God Bless ya" -Nonna.

Wine is poured for you, regardless of your age.

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You just made your First Communion? Drink some wine. You just got a boyfriend? (You better be kidding!) But, drink some wine. It's Christmas, drink more wine. I swear Italian's view wine as Holy Water. On holiday's you pour it, and you pass it on over to your 12 year old cousin with no hesitation.