Christmas in Italy: Traditions, Food, and Destinations

People of Italy start celebrating Christmas from the start of December. Italian begins the Christmas season on the day of Immaculate Conception, December 8. There are a variety of special events, celebration and holiday market throughout the country in the festive season.
The streets are decorated with lights, and Santa’s puppets are hanged from the balconies or chimneys. In most of the other countries, people start the season from Thanksgiving.

If this Christmas you are traveling to Italy, then you have a lot of places to visit, you’re sure to attend the special event, celebrations, and holiday markets throughout the country.

No matter you celebrate the Christmas or not but if you are visiting Italy then let me you will going to witness the best Christmas celebration of your life.

Unique Christmas Traditions to See in Italy

Babbo Natale (Father Christmas, equal of Santa Claus) distribute gifts on the night before Christmas and on the 12^th day of Christmas-6^th January.  The twelfth day is when the three wise men gave child Jesus a gift. In Italy, gifts are brought by a witch, who arrives in the night to fill children stockings.
During Novena, the nine days including Christmas day, children visited house to house to celebrate Christmas and collect, read about the Christmas coins and verses. From the first day of the novena, family gathers together before the presepio each morning or evening to pray and to light candles.

Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

Italians may not have created the Christmas tree – credit for that goes to the Germans – but they’ve certainly taken the idea to their hearts. However, with over 60 million fir trees grown each year in Europe alone, Italians have come up with some novel new twists on the idea.
Food plays a vital role in the celebration of Christmas for Italian. The meal comprises of the speciality of the local region food. You can see the best of firework performance all over the town.

The sound of Christmas celebration in Italy is bagpipers.  The sound of bagpipers indicates the arrival of a shepherd to greet the baby, Jesus.  The story started- after seeing the blessed baby, to greet the baby shepherd begun to play the guitars.  So Now when they arrive from hills to look at their families, they play music with bagpiper and entertain us. The tradition is continued in towns across Italy. They have come down to look at their families, and then they entertain people with their music. So now, still with the players wrapped in a sheepskin vest and thick cloak, the tradition is continued in towns across Italy.

During this festive season in Italy, they used to send a letter to their loved ones. Children write a letter to their parent- promising them good behaviour, wishing them a Merry Christmas. Parents read them aloud at altar time or at dinner.  Then the children used to chant the name of witch La Befana, as their wishes go up the chimney.

How does Italy celebrate Christmas??

Christmas in Italy

One of the most essential ways to have fun Christmas in Italy is the Nativity crib scene.  It started from 1223 by St. Francis of Assisi; people use cribs to tell the Christmas story. A lot of Italian families now have a native crib in their family.

Naples is the Italian City and world famous for its crib and cradle.   People start having cribs in their own home from the 16^th century, and it’s still popular today.

There is this Old Italian Christmas custom that children go out on streets singing aloud the carol and get themselves ready in shepherd costumes.

On Christmas Eve, no meat is eaten by Italian. However, people do eat light seafood and visited nearby famous food outlets.
The December is a festival season for Italy.  Christmas Markets are full with food stalls and people exchanges the gifts and sweets visited their relatives wish other people Merry Christmas.

We celebrate it because it is a big day as you can see that people are holding Italian Christmas decorations & Traditions for centuries.

If we talk about Christmas holiday traditions in Italy, then you definitely also want to know that where the Italian celebrate the New Year eve.  Most Italian people celebrate or stay with their family, New year is to celebrate with your friends. That what all Italian do!

Stunning fireworks performance, a musical concert, a dance night at a cool place these are the few ways Italian enjoy their New Year eve.

Christmas in Italy is magical. With all the decoration and traditions, the celebration is way much fun for people. People of all over the world specially visited Italy because of its enrich heritage celebration.

Christmas in Italy tradition is just magical, with all its decorations, lights, carousels, and traditions…. Now that you know more about how it is celebrated on the other side of the pond, all you need is how to give your holiday wishes in Italian.

Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

Italians may not have created the Christmas tree – credit for that goes to the Germans – but they’ve certainly taken the idea to their hearts. However, with over 60 million fir trees grown each year in Europe alone, Italians have come up with some novel new twists on the idea.