If you're looking for the best place to witness a traditional Roman Catholic mass for the Christmas holiday, there's no better place than Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City to catch these special religious ceremonies. Italy Christmas food traditions . It's known as The Feast of the Seven Fishes ('Esta dei Sette Pesci' in Italian). Christmas meals include: 1. Many specialties are traditional of this season and span from savory to sweet. Rome's Piazza Navona hosts a big Christmas Market, though it's heavy on cheap souvenirs. There's also regional food, drink, and music available throughout the month, and a number of special events that will take place during the Twelve Days of Christmas. Italian Christmas Traditions to Enjoy in Italy Date 2017.12.03 by romecabs in Festivals and Holidays. In the vein of the birth of Christ, one of the most beautiful celebrations of Christmas in Italy comes in the form of presepi, traditional artisanal nativity scenes that some communities have elevated to an art form, making them the cornerstone of their folklore and economy. Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Alps, on the other hand, celebrates this religious holiday with a skiers' torchlight parade at midnight on Christmas Eve. Here, then, is a selection of Christmas dishes to get everyone in a festive mood. Buon giorno and welcome to Stefano’s RomeCabs, Rome’s leading company for private tours and transfers.. Christmas time in Italy is one of the most joyful occasions celebrating traditions… Italian Christmas Traditions. See more ideas about italian christmas, christmas in italy, italian christmas traditions. A day ritualized for more family gatherings and a continuation of Christmas, it commemorates this important saint, martyr, and messenger in the dissemination of Christianity. Christmas is inspired by traditions from the Romans, Celtics, Norse, Druids and other pagan cultures. These performers often wear traditional colorful costumes with sheepskin vests, long white stockings, and dark cloaks. Many celebrate 12 days – from Christmas Eve on December 24 until Epiphany on January 6 – which also coincides with the winter solstice festival of previous centuries. Apr 14, 2016 - Wondering about Christmas traditions in Italy? One of the most visually spectacular Italian Christmas traditions is the Fiaccole di Natale, a torchlight procession on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, many Italian-American families celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a meal consisting of seven different types of seafood or one or two seafood varieties prepared in seven ways. There are many ways to get into the Christmas spirit if you’re visiting Italy during the holidays. Buone Feste: A Month of Holidays. Bombardino(a popular drink similar to eggnog) Another popular Christmas activity is the “urn of fate”, in which present… It’s the food we remember, the ones from our family traditions. Milan also hosts a special Christmas village known as Wonderland Village in the historic town center usually from early December through January 6. Christmas Traditions in Italy. We like to prepare certain things every year to take us back to the flavors and aromas of childhood, youth and adulthood, and every year they still surprise us. Christmas trees and gift-giving have long been staples of Italian Christmas, il Natale. https://www.tripsavvy.com/christmas-traditions-things-to-do-italy-4176880 The word refers specifically to the crib, first created by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223 AD. Posted on December 17, 2020 by babbityjean. Dinner on Christmas Day is usually meat-based. Il panettone(fruitcake) 7. Natale, Christmas in Italy, begins early in December. Christmas Eve is also a special time for bonfires and get togethers with family and friends. Christmas trees, lights, and decorations are often seen starting around December 8, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, or even the end of November. ☃christmas traditions in italy☃ if you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? Christmas in Italy - Italian Christmas traditions. (www.RomeCabs.com) Some of the Best Italian Christmas Traditions YOU Can Enjoy in Italy. Learn more about Italian Christmas traditions in our blog. The feast, also known as La Vigilia in some circles, occurs on Christmas Eve and is a grand meal, including—you guessed it—seven different types of seafood, ranging from shrimp and octopus to clams and cod. Il cotechino(sausage, similar to salami) 3. Christmas is a major holiday in Italy… which means Italians celebrate lots of great, unique Christmas traditions! Indeed, in cities and towns and at tables all over Italy, beginning weeks before Christmas and lasting till the Epiphany, century-old folklore and custom spill from the street into the homes and vice versa to make this season of the year an all-around celebration of the heart and the senses. Here are some facts about Italian Christmas traditions, celebrations and customs. There is no traditional meal eaten by Italians on Christmas Day – the food usually consists of a grand meat dish accompanied by plenty of snacks. One of the most important events linked to Chrismas time in Italy is the preparation of the crib, which is termed presepe in my country.According to the tradition, the first crib would date back to the time of Saint Francis of Assisi. The very roots of our modern Christmas belong in Italy.Christmas, the Feast of the Nativity, was decreed by Emperor Aurelian in A.D. 274 to take place on December 25 th of each year. For the Christmas market, some vendors dress in traditional shepherd costumes as well. A […] Additionally, once the village closes for the season, you can head to Oh Bej! Christmas is a major holiday in Italy… which means Italians celebrate lots of great, unique Christmas traditions! My daughters class was assigned Italy. In addition, the city of Verona holds a huge German-style Christmas market in Piazza del Signori with wooden stalls selling handicrafts, decorations, regional foods, and German specialties, which usually starts in late November and runs through December 26. In Italy, presents are brought by a friendly old witch named La Befana, who arrives the night of January 5 to fill children's stockings. Christmas in Italy is celebrated over several weeks as Italians celebrate from early December, depending on the region, until the day of Epiphany, on the 6th of January. Italian Soccer Teams Have Colorful Nicknames, The Aperitivo: How to Order a Drink at This Italian Ritual, How to Conjugate the Verb 'Stare' in Italian, M.A., Italian Studies, Middlebury College. Naples is one of the best cities to visit for Nativity displays. The Naples Christmas market was canceled for 2020. when is Christmas in Italy. Tortellini(ring-shaped pasta) 6. These long-time favorites never get old. For the whole month of December you’ll find food shops stocked with seasonal goodies. After she turned down their invitation, however, she changed her mind and set out to find them and newborn Jesus, and in so doing began to knock on every door, leaving gifts for the children. For most Italians, the celebration of the Christmas season begins on Christmas Eve, or shortly before, and runs until the Epiphany—the traditional Twelfthtide. Towns that celebrate San Nicola as their patron saint commemorate with the burning of fires and processions of various kinds. The Christmas celebrations in Italy last for nearly a full month from December 8th to January 6th. After all, gift-giving predates modern consumerism by millennia, and Italian shops and city centers have long traditions of decorating and making things for Christmas—even when things were more modest. LA BEFANA Although Babo Natale (Father Christmas) and giving presents on Christmas are becoming more common, the main day for gift giving is the Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas when the three wise men gave Baby Jesus their gifts. Christmas in Italy - Enjoy Italian Christmas traditions with the kids. The very roots of our modern Christmas belong in Italy.Christmas, the Feast of the Nativity, was decreed by Emperor Aurelian in A.D. 274 to take place on December 25 th of each year. The city of Ivrea is greatly known for the Battle of Oranges this should refer to Napoleone 's acts. Here's what to know about Christmas in Italy, including presepi, the Befana, and more! Yes, Italian cities are gorgeous year-round, but at Christmas time they shine their brightest with decorated trees and colorful illuminations seemingly everywhere. Add to this geographical mixing pot the factor of Christianity blending with older pagan traditions. The Christmas season in Italy is traditionally celebrated between Christmas Eve (December 24) and Epiphany (January 6). There are a lot of dishes to keep track of if you’re thinking of creating your own Italian Christmas menu. To mark the occasion the Christmas decorations are put up, including the tree and the very important nativity crib. Epiphany and La Befana The festivities in Italy continue to run from Christmas Eve through to the Epiphany on the 6th January, which is when Christmas presents are traditionally handed out. Christmas Food and Traditions in Italy. To mark the occasion the Christmas decorations are put up, including the tree and the very important nativity crib. Christmas in Sicily is more a celebration of tradition, family and religion rather than gifts and Santa Claus. Oh Bej! For a chance to see a one-of-a-kind view and one of the largest Christmas trees in the country, you can head to Monte Ingino, above Gubbio in central Italy's Umbria region, which is home to a 2,132-foot (650-meter) tall tree decorated with hundreds of lights. In southern Italy, seafood is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve and is related to the Catholic tradition of avoiding meat on the eve of certain holidays. Turkey 4. But even with this common practice, another tradition is to go to town with the fish meals on 24th December. The main focus of decorations continues to be the presepe, a nativity scene, or creche. For Christmas Eve, for those who do not fast, the main tradition, of course, is fish, though in Piemonte and other mountainous places, people who want to observe some kind of dietary sacrifice have a vegetarian Christmas Eve. In Città di Castello, you can celebrate Christmas Eve on the Tiber River, where a group of canoeists dressed as Father Christmas makes their way to the bridge at Porta San Florido in light-covered canoes. But when it comes to music, nothing makes one think of Christmas in Italy as much as the bagpipers, the zampognari, who gather with their costumes and sheepskins to play in squares and streets and homes, particularly in the North, but also in Rome and the mountains in Abruzzo and Molise. Southern Italy is credited with the advent of this tradition. In Italy, Christmas eating starts at lunchtime then continues well into the night. The old Tuscan tradition of the ceppo—a Christmas log, a huge chunk of wood chosen and dried specifically to burn in the fireplace over the night of Christmas, around which the family gathered and shared simple gifts of tangerines, dried fruit, and baked goods—is slowly fading as modern houses no longer accommodate the fireplaces of old. For Christmas trees, you can stop by the city's central Saint Peter's Square for the largest of the bunch alongside a life-sized nativity scene that's usually unveiled on Christmas Eve. The event features a market, an ice-skating rink, and entertainment. Here are 7 Italian Christmas traditions that you can easily recreate at home, or ways that you can join in some if you plan to be in Italy for the holidays. Italian traditions for Christmas. They all shared one celebration that happened to fall around Christmas time—the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a great place to be at Christmas time since Italians have lots of special Christmas traditions! Throughout Italy, Christmas tends to be a family-centred vacation, as the saying goes “Natale con i tuoi Pasqua con chi vuoi” (Christmas with your family, Easter with whom you want).. Most Italians give and receive gifts on the 12th day of Christmas, January 6th. Oh Bej!—a big market with several hundred stalls held near Castello Sforzesco—on December 7 and a few days before or after. Naples also holds a December Christmas market near Via San Gregorio Armeno, known for its many nativity workshops. According to tradition, Santa Lucia was a martyr who took food to persecuted Christians held in the catacombs. Published on December 9, 2014 + Share. Italians truly feel the atmosphere since end days of November month, but the Christmas time formally starts on 8th December, the Day of Spotless Beginning. The Wonderland Village and Oh Bej! However, even in Italy, not all of the celebrations are religion-based. We found The Best Christmas Traditions from Walks of Italy to be a great help in our study. Italian traditions for Christmas. https://www.thoughtco.com/italian-christmas-traditions-4092998 This time is often referred to as the Twelve Days of Christmas. Italian cuisine is embodied by many rich traditions and in the United States many of the country’s most loved dishes hail from Italy. This website has great information, great images, and hosts this video: We also spent time gathering information from Kids-World-Travel-Guide.com and WhyChristmas.com. Please note some events have been altered or canceled for 2020, so check below and event websites for details. Beautiful Christmas in Italy is like no other celebration! Here are some Italian holiday traditions that continue to bring families together year after year. Across Italy, Natale tends to be a family-centric holiday, a time to stay at home (and eat!) Thought to have originated in Naples around the year 1,000, presepi (meaning trough in Latin) began as religious displays for the churches, featuring the usual manger scene and characters. Christmas traditions include a variety of customs, religious practices, rituals, and folklore associated with the celebration of Christmas.Many of these traditions vary by country or region, while others are universal and practiced in a virtually ubiquitous manner across the world.. Christmas Traditions in the Italy – observed in different ways Italians truly feel the atmosphere since end days of November month, but the Christmas time formally starts on 8th December, the Day of Spotless Beginning. Fish is the food of choice for Christmas eve. We thank Italian Elisabetta for this detailed account of Christmas traditions in Italy. Fish. In Italy, this is the meal that breaks the Christmas Eve fast and it isn’t necessarily a stand-alone event as it is stateside. Across Italy, Natale tends to be a family-centric holiday, a time to stay at home (and eat!) Christmas, as it is celebrated in Italy, has two origins: the familiar traditions of Christianity blended with the pagan traditions predating the Christmas era. However, many towns across the country hold Christmas markets selling everything from tacky items to beautiful local handicrafts. It is common practice for Italian children write letters to Babbo Natale(Father Christmas) asking for Christmas presents. Christmas in Italy. This tradition originates from Tuscany in Italy when a huge log is set on fire at Christmas and left burning throughout the Christmas season. Caroling is a tradition in some parts of Italy, certainly, mostly in the North, and many people go to midnight Mass on the night of Christmas in towns big and small (and many don't). The custom to exhibit it at home started from Germany, and then spread all over Europe. This follows the pagan season of celebrations that started with Saturnalia, a winter solstice festival, and ended with the Roman New Year, the Calends. The Torino Mercatino di Natale (Christmas market) was canceled for 2020. More than 12 miles (20 kilometers) of streets and squares are illuminated by some of the best light artists in Europe from late November through early January for the annual holiday lighting displays across the city. Throughout the whole country, Natale tends to be a family-centric holiday. Various cities throughout Italy celebrate modern Catholic and ancient Roman traditions alike with Festival of Torches events. From Sicily to Naples, and Sardinia to Milan, Lombardy to Verona, and Tuscany to the Vatican, Italy offers a wealth of cultural diversity. At Christmas, in places such as Naples and Bologna but also small towns throughout Umbria and Abruzzo that have a presepe tradition, nativity scenes both small and life-size fill squares, churches, and many private homes, opened to visitors for the occasion. They vary a lot from north to south, I mean it really depends on where you are. Other Christmas traditions in Naples and Southern Italy include the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, although it's often more than seven dishes—and not everyone serves it. The festive season is well and truly upon us. You can opt-out at any time. with loved ones. All Christmas markets in Italy were canceled for 2020. While it rarely snows, the festivities are fun enough without it. The Trentino-Alto Adige Region in northern Italy is one of the best regions for Christmas markets, largely due to its close proximity to Germany, where the tradition originates.