How do you celebrate Christmas in Italy? Tombola, Befana and other traditions

What do you do for Christmas in Italy? What are typical traditions and specialties? When to decorate the Christmas tree? What are typical dishes at Christmas? Who is the Befana? In this post, we’ll tell you all about typical Christmas celebrations and Italian Christmas traditions!

Content overview

When do Italians decorate the Christmas tree?

In Italy, Christmas has an official “opening date”: December 8! This is a holiday in Italy, the Festa dell’Immacolata Concezione (Immaculate Conception Day). On this day, the whole country is decorated: Christmas lights are installed, nativity scenes are set up and Christmas trees are decorated, too. Since December 8 is a holiday and the whole family does not have to work or go to school, this holiday is very suitable for decorating the Christmas tree together.

But there are a few exceptions: In Milan, the Christmas magic starts one day before, on 07.12, when Sant’Ambrogio is celebrated. Saint Ambrogio is the patron saint of Milan. In Bari, too, people start earlier: On December 6, the day of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of the city, the tree is already lit.

Albero di Natale Roma

Do you use a real or unreal fir tree?

Unlike in the Nordic countries, in Italy it is not so typical to have a real fir tree in the house. There are also not so many fir cultivations and you will not find a fir tree sale on every corner. Also, many Italians don’t like the idea of cutting down a tree just for Christmas and then letting it die (and thinking about how and where best to dispose of it after Christmas).

Therefore, in Italy, people often prefer an artificial fir tree: it is much more practical and easy to care for. Some of them also look just as good as the real ones (only the beautiful scent is missing!), they can be reused for several years, and most importantly, they can be decorated as early as December 8 (some even as early as the first days of December), since a real tree would not keep in the house for that long. For an Italian, it is unthinkable to decorate the tree just before Christmas.

However, an alternative that has become increasingly popular in Italy in recent years is to buy a fir tree in a pot with roots. After all, an artificial fir is not very environmentally friendly either, and in recent years people have become more aware of this fact.

Therefore, Italians often ask themselves the question: real or unreal fir?

Abete vero o non vero

Does Nicholas Day exist in Italy?

Not really. In most parts of Italy Nicholas Day on December 6th is not celebrated and many do not know this figure at all. Only in a few parts of the country it is celebrated: For example, in Bari, Puglia, where St. Nicholas is the patron saint of the city. Here are also the relics of the saint. On this day there are big celebrations with parades and fireworks.

In addition, Nicholas Day is celebrated in South Tyrol and Friuli, areas with stronger German influence: Here, on the nights of December 5 and 6 St. Nicholas and the fearsome Krampus walk together, St. Nicholas rewards good children, the Krampus punishes bad children. Over time, the parades of St. Nicholas and Krampuses have become real attractions for young and old, which must be seen!

December 13: Santa Lucia

Saint Lucia is also celebrated only regionally. It is especially celebrated in Syracuse (Sicily) the hometown of the saint, and in some provinces of Lombardy in northern Italy. In Syracuse a big procession is organized with a silver statue of Saint Lucia, where her relics are kept. In northern Italy, for example in Bergamo and Brescia, Saint Lucia brings gifts to the children: the children write her a letter and on the night of December 12-13 she comes on her donkey and brings small gifts.

Il presepe: The Christmas crib

Throughout Italy you can find nativity scenes everywhere: in churches, in homes, in schools, on the streets. In the south, the city of Naples is a leader in the preparation of the Christmas crib. The workshops in Via S. Gregorio Armeno, the so-called “Via dei presepi”, have housed the most famous crib makers since the 17th century. It was they who began to incorporate the birth of Christ into scenes of daily life, with characters that could be traced back to daily life.

Very typical: Panettone, Pandoro, Torrone and Vin Brulé

The Milanese Panettone is the typical Christmas cake that can be found in every household throughout Italy. The counterpart of the Panettone is the Pandoro, which comes from Verona and is also very tasty. Both have now become a symbol of Christmas throughout Italy.

Panettone is a cake made of soft and fluffy dough, traditionally prepared with candied fruits and raisins, but there are also other variants, for example with pistachios or chocolate. Pandoro is also a very soft and fluffy cake that tastes a little different from Panettone, a little sweeter, and without candied fruit or raisins. Italy is divided every year at Christmas: Is Pandoro or Panettone tastier?

Also typical at Christmas is torrone, a confection made from almonds, honey, sugar and egg white.

And what do people typically drink at Christmas? Also in Italy, of course, people drink vin brulé, mulled wine!

la leggenda del panettone
Panettone
pandoro 1 | How do you celebrate Christmas in Italy? Tombola, Befana and other traditions
Pandoro
ricetta del torrone | How do you celebrate Christmas in Italy? Tombola, Befana and other traditions
Torrone

Christmas Eve and Christmas

Cenone della Vigilia, Christmas Eve dinner, or Pranzo di Natale, Christmas lunch? Here Italy separates!

Christmas Eve dinner in the south

Especially in southern Italy, people start eating on Christmas Eve, with the big Cenone della Vigilia, a big Christmas Eve dinner. This is highlight of Christmas. However, the meal continues on December 25 with the Pranzo di Natale and can even last until December 26, Santo Stefano. A great culinary tour de force! The gift exchange often takes place on Christmas Eve, when Italians gather at the homes of friends and relatives.

Christmas lunch on 25 in the north

In the north, on the opposite, the Christmas lunch on 25 is the highlight of the festivities. On Christmas Eve, people usually get together with friends, go to midnight mass, drink mulled wine and eat a piece of panettone in the piazza. The gifts brought by Santa Claus during the night are opened on the morning of the 25th in the small circle of the family. Then the relatives come to the Pranzo di Natale, the Christmas lunch, which of course lasts very long and flows over to dinner. December 26, the day of Santo Stefano, is further celebrated and eaten, often with other relatives.

La tombola

The most typical thing at Christmas is to play tombola with the whole family: it’s the Italian version of bingo.

Tombola di Natale | How do you celebrate Christmas in Italy? Tombola, Befana and other traditions

What are typical dishes at Christmas?

In the South, Christmas Eve dinner is dominated by fish: it starts with one or two first courses of fish, then fried or baked eel and cod. After that, quiches, vegetables, desserts and fresh and dried fruit are on the table. On the 25th, on the other hand, the focus is usually on meat: fresh pasta with meat sauce, and then roast, lamb and various desserts.

On the menu of the 25th in the north (and also in much of the center), first there are many antipasti: pate, homemade Russian salad, jellies, shrimp in pink sauce. The first course is fresh stuffed pasta: agnolotti del plin, casoncelli or cappelletti in broth; the second course is a meat dish, typically capon, and the final course is dried fruit and panettone or pandoro.

This map shows typical dishes for each region. In our article What do Italians eat at Christmas?, we talk about this topic.

Are Christmas markets typical in Italy?

The tradition of Christmas markets comes from Germany and therefore is not something typically Italian. On the contrary, Christmas markets bring a bit of Germany and Austria to Italy! The most beautiful markets in Italy are located in the region with the greatest German influence: Trentino-Alto Adige, the bilingual region on the border with Austria. So this is the perfect time to visit this region!

In any case, Christmas markets are now widespread throughout Italy: People like to go there with the family and look at the beautiful stands (some even with German products), to find gift ideas or to drink and eat something delicious.

The Befana and Epiphany

January 6, l’Epifania (Epiphany), is the last day of Christmas. In the morning the children find a nice surprise: In the night between between January the Befana flew across the country on her broom and filled the socks on the fireplace, which the children had hung up the day before, with sweets and small gifts. But beware: children who have not been good, get coal! Actually, the good kids get coal too, because the sweet coal of Befana is really tasty!

Here is a very famous children’s song:

La Befana vien di notte
con le scarpe tutte rotte
col cappello alla romana

viva viva La Befana.

(The Befana comes at night – with all broken shoes – with a Roman style hat – long live the Befana).

Afterwards, people go to the Epiphany Mass and then they meet again with the family for lunch to enjoy the last day of Christmas together. There is no typical dish for it. But for example in Varese (Lombardy) it is typical to eat the Cammello: this is a simple pastry made of puff pastry, which has the shape of a camel. This is to remind us of the Three Kings who came to Jesus on camels.

After having a nice meal, all the Christmas decorations, the nativity scene and the Christmas tree are taken down. Christmas is over and the next day school starts again. As the saying goes:

L’Epifania, tutte le feste si porta via!

(Epiphany takes away all holidays).

Befana in Italia
Foto Shutterstock | Phototribe

IDEAS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Have you thought of all the Christmas gifts yet? A nice book, funny socks or a sweet mug is a nice gift for Christmas. Don’t forget to send a nice Christmas card!

CALENDARS AND ITALIAN AGENDE

Would you rather have a pretty wall calendar or a practical diary with Italian days of the week and phrases for your desk? Find the perfect calendar for you!

GIVE A GIFT VOUCHER

With a gift voucher from Italiano Bello you give all the possibilities to choose from our wide range of Italian learning, children’s books in Italian and of course the most amazing stationery!

Share our post

2 thoughts on “How do you celebrate Christmas in Italy? Tombola, Befana and other traditions

  1. Irina says:

    Buongiorno. Pochi giorni fa ho trovato sul vostro sito i video e i glossari del calendario dell’avvento di qualche anno precedente. Volevo studiare tutto questo in dicembre. Ma adesso non riesco più a trovarlo((( (tutti i video cominciavano con una sigla con lo sfondo verde. Secondo me era tutto era magnifico!
    Mi potreste mandare un link?

    1. Ellie says:

      Ciao Irina! Stiamo aggiornando e migliorando il nostro calendario. Se guardi nella sezione del calendario dell’Avvento italiano (https://italiano-bello.com/en/amo-litalia/italian-advent-calendar/) e clicchi per esempio sul 1° dicembre, trovi già il nuovo video con la storia. Stiamo preparando i contenuti per gli altri giorni e li aggiungiamo piano piano. Per dicembre sarà tutto pronto! 🙂

      Se vuoi vedere i vecchi video, li trovi sul nostro canale YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChLnDTefNiRU42sJEXd8kcw

      Grazie per il tuo commento e cari saluti
      Ellie

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your online bookstore specialized in learning Italian.

Our latest posts

Follow us

donate
Start typing to see posts you are looking for.
Waiting List & Backorder We will notify you when the product is back in stock. Please leave us your email address below.