Christmas in Italy is like no other holiday. The cities, towns and villages come alive with people walking the streets, shopping in the markets, attending concerts and events and gazing at the decorations. The communities seem to pour from their homes, often braving the cold temperatures, to greet their neighbors and friends and share their holiday spirit. An energy of joy fills the air as the Italians show off their love for life and celebration. While each region has its own Italian Christmas traditions and celebrations worth exploring and learning about, we are covering the most widely spread traditions throughout Italy.
You are certain to see a few things throughout Italy during Christmas. One is the Christmas trees lit throughout the towns, cities and villages of Italy. This tradition began in the 1800s thanks to Queen Margherita of Savoy, who decorated a tree in Rome’s Palazzo del Quirinale. After this homes across Italy adopted the tradition of lighting a Christmas tree in their homes and across the country in their towns and villages. In Italy most trees purchased are still planted in pots. They are usually bought at garden centers and are generally much smaller than the trees in American homes.
Another Italian Christmas tradition throughout Italy is the Christmas markets. They vary from city to city but are usually set up in the main piazzas of towns, and are filled with wooden huts where people sell decorations, food, wine, beer, winter clothing and vin bruleè. They are the center of festivities in each town starting at the end of November and remaining until after January 6th. They are bustling markets filled with friends and family gathering, tables where people can eat and drink together, and kids running around absorbing the beauty of the holiday spirit. It is one of my favorite places to be during the holidays. The joy flows through the markets, as Christmas music plays, lights twinkle and laughter resounds. These markets are where you can feel the importance of community in Italy.
The other tradition you will see throughout Italy are the Presepi (manger scenes), or the Presepi Viventi (live manger scenes). They are an integral part of Christmas in Italy. They vary from region to region, just like all things in Italy from language to food, which makes them even more special and revered. In the Amalfi coast you can see small nativity scenes tucked in the caverns of the mountains, each made by a local artisan in that community. In other parts of Italy they are live Nativity scenes, and in others they are large scenes with life size displays of the scene. They are often quite complex and reflective of the region. Presepi can often be found in churches as well, where the more complex ones are on display throughout the year.
Naples is famous for the nativity scenes they create which are complex scenes reflecting Italian life and culture. They are set up in houses and often include running water, working mills, and scenes of country life. The small homes are covered in moss, or are caves where the Italians lived during Etruscan times. Each one is a piece of art and is stunning to see in shops throughout Italy. Many of the ones on the famous Christmas streets in Naples, San Gregorio Armeno and San Biagio dei Librai, are made in China now so make sure to seek out the few Italian artisans still making and selling them along the street instead of buying the Chinese knock-offs.
December 8th- Day of the Immaculate Conception.This day is set aside as a national holiday to celebrate the immaculate conception of the baby Jesus (don’t try to figure out how the baby came to full gestation in only a few weeks). Italians get their trees before the 8th, then on the 8th it is traditional for Italian families to gather to decorate the tree together. In fact, early on when living in Italy I didn’t understand this tradition and tried to find a tree on December 9th but there were only two left! They do not restock trees so when they are gone they are gone. Needless to say the two trees that were left were not the best but I took the best of the two home and made peace with our wonky Christmas tree that year. Usually christmas trees in Italy are sold in the dirt in the pot. This way after the season they can be kept on terraces, planted in the garden or given to friends to replant (unless, like me, you aren’t particularly good at keeping them alive, then they go in the compost recycling…) The towns and cities across Italy also light their Christmas trees on December 8th each year. Then the decorations in homes and towns remain until January 6th after the visit from La Befana and the visit of the wise men to see baby Jesus(more on this below).
December 13th- In the northern regions of Italy this is the day when St. Lucy (Santa Lucia) arrives with her flying donkey to deliver gifts to well behaved children and coal to naughty children. The children will leave a carrot for the donkey and a cup of coffee for St. Lucy. In Verona they erect a Christmas market to honor St. Lucy. It is a beautiful market that spans several piazzas. It is filled with stalls selling food, and local products as well as beautiful displays of lights, and mechanical christmas scenes. Music fills the streets and the stores are all beautifully decorated with greenery, lights and trees. Last year I had the pleasure of visiting Verona during this market time and it was spectacular. It was set up in mid-November and really kicked off the Christmas season. The streets were decorated with hanging lights, the shops decorated their doorways and windows and music flowed from the shops doorways.
December 24- The shops overflow with last minute christmas shoppers, the streets fill with friends and family making la passeggiata, and kitchens bustle with the activity of cooking and preparing food for the next three days. The traditional catholic religion forbade the eating of meat on Christmas eve, in an effort to cleanse the body before the big Christmas feast, so the tradition in most of Italy is to eat fish. It is called the Feast of the Seven Fishes or in Italian it is known as La Vigilia. You’ll often see marinated anchovies or tuna; baccala (codfish) served with potatoes; mussels in broth; clams with pasta; and, of course, lots of risotto. This is a very important tradition for Italian-Americans and Southern Italians. After the meal many Italian families play Tombola together, a game resembling Bingo. Then they make their way to church for the midnight mass ceremony. I attended a midnight mass once on Christmas eve, although I am not religious and therefore not familiar with mass, it was a beautiful experience. The peace and reverence felt in the church, the singing and the gathering of the community were a beautiful way to welcome in Christmas day. Some families exchange gifts on Christmas eve while others wait for Christmas day.
December 25-Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) pays a visit to the Italian homes on Christmas eve and delivers presents to the little children of most homes in Italy. (This tradition has grown stronger over the years with the influence of Anglican culture.) Many Italian families exchange gifts on Christmas day. Then it is time for the main attraction, the Christmas day lunch. Christmas is a day for families to gather together to eat, laugh, play games, take walks together and celebrate. Generally hours are spent around the table eating and conversing. While the food served at the Italian tables varies, the tradition of family togetherness does not. Italians traditionally eat their Christmas meal around lunch time. Often it can run about 12 courses and takes hours to finish. Generally the meal begins with antipasti-plates of meats, cheeses, and breads. Then it moves on to the pasta al forno, lasagna, tortellini in brodo, and other dishes generally known as primi (first course). The dishes vary by region, generally the brodo (broth) is served first and then the pasta or lasagna dishes are served after. Then the star of the meal, the roast meats. This is generally Capons, Roast Beef, Roast Pork, or Lamb. They are painstakingly prepared to delight all of the lunch guests. There are side dishes of carrots, parsnips, green beans, and roasted potatoes. (If you are familiar with the common small size of Italian kitchens these meals become even more incredible and logistically impossible to fathom for those of us used to large kitchens.)
Then it is time for dessert. Typically this will be panatone, pandoro, or tiramisu. Wine flows at the table during the meal and throughout the day (although it is generally drunk in moderation like at most Italian events).
December 26-This is another day celebrated with friends, family, food and fun. Families gather again along with friends to play games like Tomobola and cards, take long walks together, often to go to the cinema. The food varies on this day but it is a big spread with delicious dishes of pasta, meats and antipasti and of course dessert.
December 31-Italians celebrate this evening with fireworks, champagne and gathering in the local piazzas to wish their neighbors a Buon Anno (Happy New Year). The evening begins with a large meal-the food choices here vary by region but the meal is almost always concluded with dried fruits, and definitely grapes which are believed to also bring good fortune. After midnight it is traditional to eat pork and lentils. Traditionally, pork, with its richness, represents wealth, while lentils, due to their coin-like shape, symbolize money. Eating dishes containing those is believed to bring prosperity in the new year. To have even more good luck Italians traditionally wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve.
January 5-Ephiphany eve. Children across Italy leave their shoes or socks out to be filled with candy delivered by La Befana. Just like Santa, La Befana comes down the chimney while children sleep to leave them special treats. Unless of course they were naughty in which case they get lumps of coal. La Befana was believed to be a friendly old Italian lady who wanted to deliver gifts to the Baby Jesus. Unfortunately she got lost and has been trying to find her way to the Baby Jesus ever since. On January 6th she flies over the houses in Italy with children to deliver candy. She arrives on a broom which she uses to sweep away any unhappy thoughts or bad deeds from the previous year. Across Italy dolls hang from shop windows and front doors as decorations to honor La Befana, who has a large crooked nose. kerchiefed head, tattered clothes, and is always wearing a smile.
What are the foods?
In Italy much of life is about the food. Christmas takes that to another level. In fact the month of December is filled with conversations about who makes the best Panatone or Pandoro, and which one is better, Panatone or Pandoro. The conversations are quite lively as people have very strong opinions about their holiday treats.
In case you are unfamiliar with some of the foods here is a brief description of some of the popular dishes:
Panatone- Panatone is a sweet and fluffy bread with dried fruits inside. Generally it is served in slices with a sweet wine, or other sweet hot beverage. There is no factual information about where the first Panatone was made, although there are many legends about it, but its popularity was definitely begun in Milan and then it spread through Northern Italy and then throughout Italy from there. It is speculated that Panettone was created because the price of wheat in the 1500’s was so high but people wanted to continue the medieval christmas tradition of putting three loaves of bread on the Christmas table for all to share, with the exception of one slice which was the symbol of continuity. A recipe is thought to have been developed which didn’t include wheat in the ingredients so the tradition could continue.
In the 1800’s the confectioner Giovanni Felice Luraschi perfected the recipe in Milan when he added yeast to make a fluffier and taller cake. He then enriched the bread with candied fruit or sultanas. Nowadays you can find Panatone with chocolate, cream, or many other combinations.
Pandoro- This light and vanilla flavored bread, with an 8 point star shape is usually produced in Verona. The bread is often sprinkled with powdered sugar after it has been toasted and eaten with butter and orange marmalade. It can also be dunked into coffee when it is plain, or my personal favorite is to brush it with espresso, sprinkle it with cocoa and serve with a light mascarpone cream. Pandoro was created in Verona by Domenico Melegatti, he was the first to patent the Pandoro in 1884 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. The eight point star was created by Melegatti who used the talent of the impressionist painter Angelo Dall’Oca Bianca to inspire the design. It quickly became a tradition at Italian tables.
Torrone- is a nougat treat usually served at Christmas time. The primary ingredients of this light treat are honey, beaten egg whites, almonds, wafers, hazelnuts and vanilla. The most famous Torrone come from Cremona, Alba, Siena and Benevento. It can either be soft or hard depending on the region where it is made. Many Italians also make this delightful treat at home.
Tortellini in brodo is a famous savory dish served in Tuscany for Christmas dinner. Tortellini are small pasta shaped in a circle and generally filled with prosciutto. Depending on the region in Italy some are also filled with parmesan cheese, or potato and prosciutto. Beef or chicken (or vegetable if you are vegetarian) broth are heated in a pan until boiling, the tortellini is added and cooked for about 5-7 minutes. It is served in the broth with a dusting of pepper or parmesan cheese. Tortellini in brodo(broth) is served before the pasta course, after the antipasti.
Pasta al forno is another Christmas dish served throughout Italy. The recipe varies by region. Pasta al forno was created to use leftover pasta to create a new dish. However, it has become a staple at the Christmas table being made specifically for the holiday. It is a baked pasta dish generally served with a meat sauce, béchamel and cheese.
This is a recipe for a traditional Pasta al Forno (Pasta in the oven).
Christmas in Italy is one of the most magical Christmas experiences there is. It is a beautiful way to get into the spirit, to experience Christmas culture and to share a memory with your family or friends that you will never forget. It is also a time to experience Italy more authentically.
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