Danish Kun 10 days left until Christmas, and the cities have completely lit up. Now comes the best part – preparing for the big lunch, the ongoing festivities in different towns… but if you’re still wondering what the super Italian Christmas traditions are during this time, we’ve selected the ones that for us are absolute musts in Italy.
Whether you’re an expat planning your first Christmas in Italy or just curious about how Italians really celebrate, these are the traditions you’ll actually experience living here.
1. Plastic Trees and Massive Nativity Scenes in Every Piazza
Italy doesn’t really have that American or Northern European tradition of going out to buy a real Christmas tree to bring home. Here it’s all about the plastic ones. I can’t tell you if that’s environmentally better or worse, but they usually last forever. Like, people rarely replace them, they just keep going year after year.
There’s no exact date when Italians start decorating, but most people kick things off on December 8th for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Though I know some overachievers who start in November.
And then there’s the presepe – the nativity scene. While not every Italian family does one at home, you’ll find them everywhere in town squares and Christmas markets. During this time, some places even do live nativity scenes with actual actors. One of the most iconic is in Matera, a city that’s already pretty magical since it’s built into the rocks with buildings carved right into the stone.
2. The Great Panettone vs. Pandoro Debate
Dette er den classic argument that Italian friends and family will have at least once every year at the table: panettone or pandoro? Panettone is the one stuffed with raisins and candied fruit, with a more airy and compact texture. Pandoro is softer and fluffier, but it’s basically empty inside. Sorry to all the pandoro lovers out there, but for me, panettone wins 10-0. I mean, come on – eating a bite of nothing versus finding a surprise burst of delicious candied fruit? No contest.
In recent years, both have evolved with tons of variations: apricot and amaretto, salted caramel, chocolate, pistachio… So during this season, tons of Italians rush to artisan bakeries and pre-order the real deal weeks in advance. If you haven’t tried an artisan panettone or pandoro yet, do it. The difference from the industrial stuff is night and day.
3. Everyone Cooks the Day Before (Whether They’re Hosting or Not) – Leftovers Forever
Every year, families organize to figure out where to celebrate Christmas. Whether it’s at your aunt’s, grandma’s, or your brother’s place, everyone spends Christmas Eve or even Christmas morning cooking something to contribute. Usually, people bring appetizers or a nice artisan panettone. But regardless, to honor the Italian culinary tradition, you always make double what’s actually needed.
Obviously, mad er hellig and nothing gets thrown away – instead, leftovers get eaten on Christmas night, on Santo Stefano (December 26th), or get frozen for the weeks ahead.
4. Every Meal Ends with Tons of Peanuts, Mandarins, and Oranges
This is maybe one of the aspects of these traditions that makes me laugh the most, but I think it sums up the Italian spirit 100%. You might ask: after a meal that lasts for hours, do we really need peanuts and oranges too?
First of all, if you get invited to a Christmas lunch, expect to arrive at 12:30 or 1 pm and not get up from the table until 6 pm, if not later. During all this, between appetizers, first course, second course (third…), and dessert, hours pass. Hours spent talking, talking, and talking some more. So at the end of the day, continuing to munch on peanuts (which in Veneto we call “bagigi“) and mandarins/oranges is a way of saying “let’s cleanse the palate a bit” (I know it sounds absurd), but mainly it’s to keep chatting and wrap up those final conversations.
5. Christmas Festivities Don’t End on December 25th
During the Christmas season, there are celebrations on multiple occasions: in some regions, especially in the provinces of Cremona, Bergamo, Lodi, Mantova, and Brescia, Santa Lucia arrives on December 13th bringing gifts, so kids open presents that day. In other parts of Italy, some open them on Christmas Eve (the 24th), but most open them on the morning of the 25th, after religiously leaving out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Babbo Natale (Santa Claus).
Then on the 26th, Santo Stefano, there’s usually another big lunch, typically with the side of the family you didn’t celebrate Christmas with. And then, you might think, after New Year’s it’s all over, right? Actually, the real Christmas vibe doesn’t end until January 6th, when the Befana arrives – an old woman who, in the Italian imagination, looks kind of like a witch. She brings edible coal to kids who misbehaved and sweets to those who were good. So kids wake up with a stocking full of treats! And especially in many towns, they build a giant Befana figure in the town center (made of papier-mâché, wood, etc.), the whole town gathers, and she gets burned in front of everyone – a way to leave the past year behind.
Would you like to move to Italy but don’t know where?
If you want to move to Italy but you’re still undecided on where fordi du har different priorities – whether it’s good internet connection, tax incentives, nearby hospitals and/or airports, good schools in the area, the sea, the mountains, mild weather year-round, etc – use the “Town Explorer” section on our website. You’ll be able to filter by the parameters that matter most to you and find the cities that best fit your needs.
And if you have any other questions, we’re here to help! Our members get access to a one-hour free consultation.
Var dette en hjælp?
