Italian Christmas Traditions

From LoveToKnow Christmas

Italian Christmas traditions haven’t changed much through the years. There is still a strong focus on family and a revered observance of Christianity.

Celebrating Christmas in Italy

Italians celebrate the Christmas holiday for nearly a month, from December 8th through January 6th. In addition to Christmas Day, there are other religious holidays throughout the season.

  • December 6th is La Festa di San Nicola, a festival which honors St. Nicholas, the patron saint of the shepherds.
  • December 8th is L'Immacolata Concezione, the celebration of Mary and the immaculate conception, and the official start of the holiday season.
  • December 13th is La Festa di Santa Lucia, or St. Lucy’s Day. This is one of two days when gifts are exchanged.
  • December 24th is La Vigilia di Natale, or Christmas Eve.
  • December 25th is Il Natale, or Christmas Day.
  • December 26th is La Festa di Santo Stefano, or St. Stephen’s Day, which commemorates the birth announcement of Jesus and appearance of the Three Wise Men.
  • December 31th is La Festa di San Silvestro, or New Year's Eve. Expect a feast, fireworks, music, and dancing.
  • January 1st is Il Capodanno, or New Year's Day.
  • January 6th is La Festa dell'Epifania, or the Feast of the Epiphany. This is the primary day of gift-giving.

Popular Italian Christmas Traditions

Throughout Italy, you’ll see marvelous nativity displays, or prespi. A presepio will be in a public park, in front of a church or home, and even in some retail locations. It is a reminder of the true meaning of the season.

In addition to a presepio, many homes will have a ceppo. This wooden structure in a pyramid shape closely resembles a Christmas tree, only it has shelves in the middle of it. Also called “The Tree of Light”, a nativity scene sits at the base, and on the shelves are candy, nuts, fruit, and gifts.

In other parts of Italy, the ceppo is not a tree of light at all, but a yule log. The burning of the ceppo represents purification of fire. Children may be allowed to strike the log and send up sparks, and in return, receive a gift.

The urn of fate is a centuries-old Italian Christmas tradition. Each family places wrapped gifts in a large ornate bowl, and take turns retrieving presents.

Music is provided throughout the country by a troupe of traveling entertainers known as zampognari and pifferai. You’ll often hear them at religious shrines.

La Befena is the witch who, upon hearing the news of baby Jesus, went in search of him but never found him. Since she can’t bestow gifts on Him, she leaves them for Italian children on January 6th.

Italian Dishes for Christmas

Many cultures define their celebrations with specific foods, and the Italians are no exception. There are many fine dishes that are the foundation for Italian Christmas traditions.

Christmas Eve Fish Dinner

Although it’s a common practice throughout Italy to not eat meat on Christmas Eve, many Southern Italians enjoy a full fish feast on that day, which includes serving seven different varieties of fish. According to legend, the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or La Vagilia, represents the seven days during which God created the Universe. Other theories include:

  • Observance of the Catholic Church’s seven sacraments
  • Mary and Joseph’s seven days of travel to reach Bethlehem
  • Rome’s seven hills

Families spare no expense purchasing the best selection of fish, and some may opt for as many as 21 different varieties for the feast.

If you’d like to add a seafood extravaganza to your Christmas Eve celebration, here are a few recipes:

  • Epicurious offers a lovely Feast of the Seven Fishes menu, which includes calamari, cod, and mussels.
  • Another menu option for a seafood celebration is chef and fisherman Dave Pasternack’s Italian Christmas Eve Feast on a Budget. His feast includes baccala (cod) salad, clams, and swordfish.
  • Mark Bittman, a reporter for The New York Times, shares his first Seven Fishes experience and some recipes in this article.

La Festa di San Silvestro

The meal enjoyed on the Italian New Year’s Eve is one that ushers in well-wishes and good tidings. Typical fare includes lentils, which represent good fortune, as well as a pork dish, such as zampone or cotechino, which heralds the richness of all life has to offer in the new year. Many bottles of prosecco or spumante are consumed as well.

For your Italian New Year’s Eve party, try the following recipes:

Stuffoli is a popular Italian Christmas dessert.

Desserts

Luscious sweets make any holiday sparkle. These treats are a primary part of Italian Christmas traditions.

  • Chestnut Tortelli: Pastries stuffed with chestnuts and chocolate
  • Panforte: A spice and fruit cake. The next day, make a delicious pudding from the leftover panforte.
  • Panpepato: A spicy chocolate bread
  • Pizzelle: Thin cookie wafers with special designs.
  • Struffoli: Dough puffs dipped in honey and decorated with sprinkles.
  • Zuppa Inglese: Also called Italian Tipsy Cake, this is a rum-soaked cake with cream similar to an English triffle.
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