How do Italians celebrate Christmas in Italy?

Eating and merrymaking lasts the entire day. Most Italian families exchange gifts on December 25th after they feast. However, nowadays many Italian families celebrate Christmas with gifts from ‘Babbo Natale,’ Italy’s Father Christmas. Some families wait until the ‘Epifania’ or Epiphany on January 6th to exchange gifts.

What does an Italian Christmas look like?

One old Italian custom is that children go out Carol singing and playing songs on shepherds pipes, wearing shepherds sandals and hats. On Christmas Eve, it’s common that no meat (and also sometimes no dairy) is eaten. Often a light seafood meal is eaten and then people go to the Midnight Mass service.

What are typical Christmas decorations in Italy?

These days, you will see more greenery and lights appearing in Italian homes starting sometime in the beginning of December. But if you want traditional Italian holiday decorations you need a presepe and a Befana.

What are 3 facts about Christmas in Italy?

The presepe or Nativity scene is one of the most important decorations at Christmas. They are carefully arranged in churches as well as other public areas and family homes. Traditionally the figurine of baby Jesus is not added until Christmas Day. Also the Three Wise Men are added on January 6th.

What Christmas decorations do they use in Italy?

Those who do decorate the Christmas tree in Italy use fairly typical decorations such as strings of Christmas lights and beautiful, handcrafted ornaments. This is especially true in the parts of Italy that directly border Germany.

What do they do in Italy for Christmas?

In Italy, Christmas celebrations begin 8 days before Christmas day with a period known as the Novena, which is a series of prayers. During this time children dress up as shepherds, and go door to door singing, reciting poems and playing pipes and the householders give them money.

What is it like in Italy at Christmas?

Christmas in Italy is celebrated over several weeks and is considered by some as the top place to visit during the Christmas season as Italians like to do things up big, including Christmas! Since Italy is a more religious country that most, you will not find many Santa Clause decorations. Instead, you can appreciate their many Christmas concerts, religious celebrations and more traditional Christmas décor including a lot of nativity scenes.

What is traditional Christmas dinner in Italy?

In Italy, Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally lighter with no meat and a lot of seafood, while the Italian-American meal has evolved into much more of a feast. Bring on the sword fish, tuna, salmon, octopus salad, smelts, calamari, spaghetti with clam sauce and the famous Italian classic—salted cod, known as baccalà.