Christmas in Italy

 Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is the most important holiday in Italy.

Christmas marks the birth of Jesus. Families gather on this day, cook lots of food, play games, and exchange gifts.

Children eagerly wait for Christmas morning to see if Santa Claus—a bearded old man who travels on a sleigh—has brought what they wrote in their letters. This is a wonderful time for children also because schools usually remain closed from December 23 to January 6. During this period, some people go to the mountains to ski in the Alps, which are full of tourists; this trip is often referred to as the "white week."

The day before Christmas is called Christmas Eve, and the Christmas Eve dinner, known as the cenone, is one of the most important meals. Shops close early on Christmas Eve, and everything remains closed on December from 25 to 26.

For the Christmas Eve cenone and Christmas lunch, Italians cook a lot, especially fish. Similarly, during the festive season, special desserts like panettone, pandoro, or torrone are prepared or bought, and houses are decorated. The Christmas tree is usually set up on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Christmas Tree

During the Christmas season, there is also the New Year celebration, Capodanno. On December 31, the day of Saint Sylvester, people either go out or gather for the year's last big dinner. Shops close earlier, by 6 PM at the latest.

At midnight, people toast with sparkling wine.

The Christmas holidays officially end on January 6, the Epiphany, the day Christians celebrate the Three Wise Men seeing Jesus and recognizing Him as God.

January 6 is especially exciting for children because tradition says that an old lady called Befana flies from house to house to fill the stockings of good children with plenty of candy.