Celebrating Christmas Like An Italian: 6 Unique Traditions
Italians know how to celebrate Christmas. As a country with deep roots in Christianity, they have many different rituals, customs and traditions that commemorate the festive season. That's why, if you're spending some time in Italy during December, you can expect a unique, yet joyous Christmas experience. As an Alpine Hotel in the Italian Alps, we are also looking forward to all the upcoming festivities. So, without further ado, here are 6 Christmas traditions that are unique to Italy:
CELEBRATING ALL-MONTH LONG
If you can't wait for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to come, you won't have to wait long in Italy to start celebrating! For Italians, the celebrations begin as early as December 6th with La Festa di San Nicola, which celebrates the patron saint of the shepherds. After that, you've got a few more dates to note down during the festive season, they are:
December 8th - L'Immacolata Concezione (Celebration of the Immaculate Conception)
December 13th - Festa di Santa Lucia
December 24th - La Vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve)
December 25th - Natale (Christmas)
December 26th - La Festa di Santa Stefano (Marks the announcement of Jesus' birth and the arrival of the three wise men)
December 31st - La Festa di San Silvestro (New Year's Eve)
January 1st - Il Capodanno (New Year's Day)
January 6th - La Festa dell' Epifania (The Epiphany)
Generally, Italians will start putting up their Christmas decorations around December 8th, so if you're in the country by that time - expect to see lights twinkling, wreaths being hung up and maybe some carolling here and there.
NOVENA
Novena is the 8-days leading up to Christmas. During this time, around the neighbourhood and the town centres, you can find Christmas carolers singing traditional songs. On top of that, if you're anywhere in Southern Italy, you might even find some bagpipers going around to play some festive tunes. As you can imagine, all this music helps to escalate the festive atmosphere just before Christmas, which is extremely exciting!
CHRISTMAS EVE
In Italy, there are many devoted Catholics that celebrate the 'Christmas' story by attending ‘Midnight mass'. It is a common event that occurs every year, without fail! There are even some people who travel all the way to the Vatican city to join the Pope to listen to the sermon. But if not midnight mass, alternatively, some children are waiting for 'Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) to visit during the night and deliver their well-deserved presents.
PRESEPE
Possibly one of the most important scenes in an Italian Christmas is Presepe. Presepe is essentially the 'Nativity scene', in which it features baby Jesus being born in the Stable, with Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds and the Wise Men. All over Italy, you will find the Presepe scene, whether it's as miniature figurines or even live reenactments. This tradition has been rooted in Graeco-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions, making it deeply ingrained in the Italian culture for centuries. It's been so entrenched in the Italian tradition, that most people don't take much notice of it. Without a doubt, if you're spending Christmas in Italy, then you will almost 100% find the nativity scene in one form or another. You may typically find such figurines in market stalls, the most famous being the one in Naples at San Gregorio Armeno.
FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!
One thing you cannot overlook is the food. With Italy dominating the world cuisine trade with its Neapolitan Pizzas, Risottos and more - you can only imagine how the festive cuisine is like. You can expect creamy Polenta, a meaty plate of Cassoeula, a hearty Pizzoccheri - all excellent dishes to warm up this cold season. But when 'La Vigilia di Natale' (Christmas Eve) arrives, many Italians opt to go meatless and consume fish dishes instead! For dessert, you might've heard of the famous Italian Panettone, a kind of bread made out of raisins and citrus - it is a popular gift among tourists and a well-loved dessert by Italians, so make sure to give it a try. If you are heading over to Northern Italy this season, we recommend you visit our Italian Restaurant as we serve the finest Italian dishes in our menu, and we're sure you'll enjoy belly-warming meal after having a trip to the nearest Aprica Ski Resort.
LA BEFANA or ‘the good witch
January 6th is known for the day of the Epiphany when the three wise men are celebrated. However, in Italy, they also celebrated the 'Good Witch', who's known for giving gifts to children on the day. According to folklore, the three wise men encountered 'la Befana' and asked her for directions to the stable, while also inviting her to join them - however - she politely refused. Later on, a shepherd also asked her to join him in visiting the Christ child - she declined again. When the evening arrived, and the skies began to darken, she saw a bright light in the heavens. She immediately regretted not following the others. She quickly gathered toys and tried to find the stable, but alas, she could not find them. Instead, she now drops presents to the children of Italy, and coal for bad children.
Why not stay at Albergo Miramonti? We are located within the Alps, with a Hotel Spa, relaxing Cigar Lounge and an Italian Restaurant that serves local Valtellina Cuisine.
For more articles about the Italian Alps and Northern Italy, read our blog: