Each country in which Christmas is celebrated has its own unique traditions, particularly around food. Food is central to celebrations of all kinds around the world but in Italy it looms especially large as a main character and, certainly, anyone who plans any sort of vacation in Italy is surely looking forward to eating very, very well. Book your holiday rental in Italy over the Holidays and you’ll get to enjoy a whole host of intriguing and delicious foodie traditions and dishes. But once you arrive, what should you eat and when?
In the run up to Christmas
If you are already in Italy in the days or weeks before the big day itself, there will be all sorts of delicious things to discover and try as you explore pretty towns and cities made lovelier still by the lights, festive cheer, excitement, scents, and sounds of the season. Christmas markets are often found in towns from the famous citywide celebrations that take over the charming medieval town of Arezzo that you can readily visit on vacation in Tuscany, to the sweet traditional markets in tiny towns that can be enjoyed on holiday in Tyrol. At these Christmas markets, you’ll be able to sample local street foods and specialities, international favourites, and typical Italian Christmas market fare, which includes a mixture of Germanic and Tyrolean traditions. So, be sure to spend a day walking around a market with mulled wine, Italian pastries, German-style sausages, and more.
When visiting coffee shops and bakeries in the run up to Christmas, meanwhile, you’ll find that there are lots of extra-special sweet treats to enjoy with your coffee. These typical Italian sweets might be less impressive to younger palates as they generally are made with dried fruits and less indulgent ingredients but for adults they pair very nicely with an espresso. Many are also now somewhat familiar as they have become fixtures of international Christmas food displays in foodie shops around the world but they are always best enjoyed while staying in a luxury villa in Italy. Grab cantuccini, a kind of biscotto from Prato made of dough enriched with olive oil and flavoured with anise seeds. Maybe you might prefer cavallucci, another kind of biscuit from Siena that is made with flour, honey and sugar, in the shape of half an apricot. Or for something a little richer, there is panforte, another Siennese classic, a fruitcake that can be plain or chocolate-covered and is made of nuts, honey, sugar and spices. Panettone and pandoro, meanwhile, are two more very familiar fruitcakes from Italy that are central to Christmas celebrations for many around the globe today but, again, always even better enjoyed while on vacation in Italy itself!
Christmas Eve
Once you get to Christmas Eve, we get to the more serious traditions. The main fixture of this day is the tradition of Cenone della Vigilia, or the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Particularly strong in the south of Italy, this tradition will delight seafood lovers as it places fish firmly at the centre of the menu and sees most people typically abstain from meat. This big seafood-based dinner, unsurprisingly based on the name, involves seven whole courses of fish! While restaurants will largely close on Christmas Day, going out for this 7-course seafood meal the night before is an annual family tradition for many and one we recommend trying out for yourself if you are spending the Holidays in Italy. Just be sure to book your place in advance and keep in mind that formal attire will most likely be required.
Other dishes that are often served on Christmas Eve include lasagna topped with anchovies, Parmesan, and seasoning in the north of Italy and vermicelli with clams or mussels in places like Naples in the south of Italy.
Christmas Day
When the big day itself arrives, most people gather at home and most restaurants close, so if you’re celebrating the season in Italy, you’ll be left to fend for yourself. However, if you stock up in advance and want to try local traditions, then these are the dishes that you can expect at the typical Italian dinner table on Christmas Day.
Lunch is typically the main event and where most of the feasting takes place. As an aperitivo, perfectly chilled Prosecco is very common. Then you usually begin with a pasta in brodo dish, which is pasta served in a broth. There are endless regional variations on this so you should ask locals when shopping or even one of our friendly villa owners to find out! If you were to book a villa in Bologna, for example, the local variation is a meat-filled tortellini in a capon broth. In general, pasta is usually the primo corso, or first course, in most meals in Italy throughout the year so you could really have any sort of pasta dish as your starter. Unlike in other places, as pasta is a first course in Italy rather than a main, it is also usually served in a much smaller portion than many of us are accustomed to.
Next comes the main course with a meat dish, which you’ve left your space for. Once eel was a common choice but turkey has taken over in many places, influenced by its major prominence in celebrations internationally. Of course, all sorts of other meat dishes can be the main and there, again, is a huge amount of regional variation including roast lamb, boiled rooster, veal and more. White or red wine is served according to the type of meat you are eating. After dinner, many of the same cakes and desserts mentioned earlier are served up, often with coffee and then a digestivo of some sort.
So, if you’re thinking about Christmas in a luxury villa in Italy then rest assured knowing that there are lots of delicious treats awaiting you at this time of the year...