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Christmas in Italy - has two origins:
the familiar traditions of Christianity blended with the pagan
traditions predating the Christian era. The greatest feast of
the ancient Roman Empire, the Saturnalia
(a winter solstice celebration), happens to coincide with the Christmas celebrations
of the Advent. Therefore, Holiday fairs, merry-making
and torch processions, honor not only the birth of Christ, but also the birth of the Unconquered Sun. Natale, Italian for Christmas, is literally
the translation for birthday.
Many small towns feature a Nativity scene with actors who go around the streets, stables
and squares interpreting ancient trades such as saddlers and
knife-cutters. Pipers, zampognari,
perform traditional Holiday songs on bagpipes, flutes, and oboes. These travelling
musicians come down from the mountains in the regions of Abruzzo
and Calabria and typically wear bright red jackets and broad-brimmed
hats with red tassels. In Rome, the pipers play at the Christmas market
in the historic Piazza
Navona, on the Spanish Steps, and at the entrance
to St. Peter's Square. Figures of these musicians are popular in nativity
scenes.
Christmas Eve is a time for viewing Italy's artistic and elaborate
manger diaramas, creches. They are figurines, in clay or plaster, often with
cloth clothing, of the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. An ox and donkey are nearby because legend has it
that they warmed the Christ
Child with their breath. It is around
this basic focal point that individual artisans create their
own intricate landscapes. There may be grottoes, small trees,
lakes, rivers, the lights of Bethlehem in the background, angels hung from wires, and occasionally,
even local heroes. The most beautiful crib scenes are set up
in churches. There is often a contest between churches of the
same town for the best creche. People
go from church to church to view and compare the Holiday diaramas and displays. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City always features a Christmas tree with many
vintage Italian figures adorning it.
Another tradition is the burning of the
Yule log,
which must stay alight until New
Year's Day. This, again, is an example
of classical Roman and Christian ritual combined. The pagan belief
explains the purifying and revitalizing power of fire, and with
the burning log, the old year and its evils are destroyed. Christian
legend tells how the Virgin
Mary enters the homes of the humble at
midnight while the people are away at Midnight Mass
and warms her newborn
child before the blazing log.
Most Italians open their presents, regali di Natale, on Christmas morning or after lunch. On January 6th - Epiphany, l'epifania, children each receive a stocking, la calza,
colourful, long socks full of sweets, i dolciumi,
if they've been good, but filled with coal, il carbone,
which is made of black sugar, if they've been bad.
Traditionally, it isn't Santa Claus but the benevolent
witch, La
Befana, who fills the children's shoes
with gifts, toys, candies and fruit. Legend tells us that she
followed the Wise Men but got lost and has been wandering ever since, distributing
presents to children on Christmas Eve.
In Venice and Mantova, it's Santa
Lucia who brings the presents, while
in some regions it's Baby
Jesus, Gesu' Bambino, who bears the gifts. But today most Italians also
believe in Santa
Claus or Father Christmas,
Babbo
Natale.
Popular
foods are: In the Italian Catholic tradition,
Christmas Eve is a day of abstinence from meat, so a large family
banquet often features il capitone,
a dish made with fried eels, and i cardoni,
a vegetable dish comprising mainly Jerusalem artichokes and eggs.
After dinner, Italians head off for midnight mass.
Lunch, il
pranzo, on Christmas Day is
the most important of all the Holiday feasts and is
a prolonged meal.
There is often crostini with liver pâté or the classic tortellini in chicken stock, brodo.
There is also lo
zampone, a pig's foot filled with
spiced mince meat, and il cotechino,
a sausage made from pig's intestines containing a similar filling,
to be eaten with mash potato and lentils. Lamb, l'agnello, is another favorite.
Desserts include nougat, il torrone, and pastries filled with cream cheese called i cannoli (I frequently buy these tasty delights in Trenton at the Italian
People's Bakery). A light Milanese
cake filled with candied fruit and raisins, called il panettone, (which I first enjoyed at a Christmas market
stall on the Spanish Steps in Rome, many years ago) is often consumed, while the main
traditional cake throughout Italy is gold bread, il pandoro, which is very similar but without the candied fruit
or raisins. A gingerbread with hazelnuts, honey and almonds,
il
panforte, is also popular. In fact,
most Holiday sweets contain nuts and almonds as, according to
peasant folklore, eating nuts promotes the fertility of the earth
and aids in the increase of flocks and family. In ancient Rome,
honey was offered at this time of year in order that the new
year might be sweet.
Buon
Natale!
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