Essay | Buon Natale! Christmas in Italy: Traditions, Food and Family

CHATFIELD – In Italy, the Christmas season begins on December 8th with the Immacolata (the Immaculate Conception of Mary) and continues until January 6th, Epifania (Epiphany).

Immacolata is an Italian national holiday when there is no work or school. Although Catholic Masses are held on this day, many simply enjoy the day off.

Each weekend during the seasonal celebration, small Christmas markets move from city to city. They sell baked goods, Christmas ornaments and decorations.

While in Minnesota, Massa has visited local Christmas craft sales and festivities. The Holiday Stroll in Red Wing felt most like his Italian Christmas markets where tents lined the city streets.

On left, the exterior of a Christmas Market (Mercatini Di Natale) in front of the La Rossa Cathedral Catholic Church. On right, the interior of a store at the Christmas Market in Puglia, Italy. (Photos by Gabriele Massa)

Santa Claus is also very important to the children in Italy. He is a magical character who travels through the night in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, led by Rudolph.

Unlike in America where Santa comes down chimneys, in Italy he comes through the windows and leaves gifts for everyone, including adults.

Santa is called Babbo Natale and he is believed to live in Lapland with his wife, Mrs. Claus. Children of all ages sit on Santa’s lap for pictures just like they do here in the States.

Gabriele Massa (center) and friends with Babbo Natale (Santa Claus). (Photo by Gabriele Massa)

A Nativity scene is quite common in homes, even in those that are not religious. The nativity includes Re’ Magi (the three wise men) and their animals; villagers; Mary; Joseph and the shepherd and donkey who are always shown next to Jesus to keep him warm, like in the original story.

The nativity scenes are frequently quite extensive, with roads built and cornmeal used to simulate the sandy desert surrounding it.

A popular custom is also to hold nativities in the church, with water for the village rivers and lights to represent day and night.

Massa’s brother, Michele, poses with their Grandma’s Presepe (Nativity). (Photo by Gabriele Massa)

Italians also host live nativity scenes called presepe vivente where visitors bring food. These real scenes of the nativity represent the actual lives of people of Jesus’ time and are usually held on the night of December 26^th.

Lights are quite popular and strung throughout the main streets of town and from house to house. Although the lights and decorations are similar in Italy, Massa has noticed that many homes in the United States are excessively decorated with lights.

“Before coming,” Massa says, “my dream of America was houses with so many lights! My expectations have been met!”

The Presepe (Nativity) created from crocheted squares outside of Busca Catholic Church in Busca, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Massa)

Part of the exchange experience is sharing of cultures and during the holidays that often means traditions that harken back to the host family’s heritage. Chatfield’s Byrne family has Norwegian ancestors, so Massa was able to spend a day baking with his host Grandma where he learned how to make krumkake, lefse, rosettes and Sandbakkeles.

In turn, the Byrnes learned how Massa’s Italian Grandpa and Grandma make bread each week for the family and Massa treated his host family with delicious Italian desserts including his mother’s tiramisu recipe and panettone, a Milanese sweet bread filled with candied fruit, similar to our fruitcake.

Christmas decorations on a street in Busca, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Massa)

In Italy, Massa’s whole family gathers for dinner on Christmas Eve. Cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles and all come together at a beautifully decorated table.

The family’s menu changes from year to year but the first course (primo) is typically rice, pasta or paella; the second course is usually arrosto, (beef roast); and dessert always includes panettone served with a topping that’s either chocolate or whipped cream.

“My favorite appetizer, which we call antipasti, is carne cruda (raw meat),” Massa adds.

Massa’s family gathered for Christmas Eve dinner. (Photo by Gabriele Massa)

Oratory, held on Saturday afternoon at church, is a time during the year when the teens lead the children in games and activities. Like their American counterparts, they share in Secret Santa gift exchanges on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Stockings are not hung for Christmas morning but Italians practice a similar tradition on Epiphany centered around the folklore of Italy’s Christmas Witch, La Befana. This legend combines pagan and Christian symbolism – La Befana is said to be part of the story of Christ’s birth, and when the Magi asked her for directions to Jesus, she did not help them.

Because La Befana regrets it, she now searches for Jesus, handing out treats to children as she goes. Those who’ve behaved all year will receive candies or little treats (the symbol of the Epiphany). Those who have not been so good, will receive a carbone (a lump of coal) in their socks.

Tall, decorated Christmas tree stands inside the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Massa)

Italian Christmas celebrations start nine days before Christmas on December 16 with a Novena. It is called a Novena because it literally means “nine days,” referring to a Catholic devotional of nine consecutive days of prayer, a tradition which precedes major feasts such as Christmas and Easter.

During the Christmas Novena, all the kids and teenagers come to church at 5:00 p.m. and sing all the Christmas songs.

Massa shared, “it is actually so fun because it reminds you of all your fond memories.”

Massa has enjoyed all the pre-Christmas activities he’s shared while in America. “It is not Christmas yet, but for sure there are things that I already enjoyed doing like the tree cutting, we went to a farm in Peterson,” he shared. “That was super cool ‘cause I’ve never done this before.”

Barry Byrne (left) and Gabry Massa (right) carry their freshly cut Christmas tree at Becker Tree Farm. (Photo by Laurie Byrne)

Christmas in Minnesota for Massa is definitely highlighted by the lit-up homes – something he imagined seeing in America.

As the holiday draws near, he thinks he’ll miss his family in Italy and all their traditions. But, he says, “At the same time, I am excited to experience Christmas here . . . and stay together with my host family at the table for the meals because I think it is important for family to be together and celebrate.”