Everything appears magic during the Christmas period with the coloured lights and religious customs.. Unlike Christmas Eve’s meal, Christmas Day is typically meat-based. A recipe will be provided in this article. Click this link and fill out the form - we'll be in touch soon! Meat-Free Christmas Eve. Over the years at Dream of Italy, we’ve written about various ways to celebrate Christmas, New Year’s and the Epiphany throughout Italy. Beginning November 26 with the lighting of a huge tree in Piazza Tasso, celebrations continue with street performances on weekends; jazz, gospel, and classical music concerts in the churches; a Christmas treasure hunt; and a Villaggio di Babbo Natale (Santa’s Village for the bambini) at Villa Fiorentino. The magnificent Royal Palace of Caserta in southern Italy houses the only surviving royal Christmas presepio, which was the focal point of King Charles III’s family from the mid-18th century. Yes, Italian cities are gorgeous year-round, but at Christmas time they shine their brightest with decorated trees and colorful illuminations seemingly everywhere. Finally, one of the most intriguing Christmas traditions from around the world…. The holiday season is one of the most enchanting times to visit southern Italy. All rights reserved. An edited version of this article appeared in the November 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Lupini with Olives ~ Super healthy and nutritious snack. For many Italian Americans, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is a can’t-miss Christmas tradition.Traditionally served for Christmas Eve dinner, this meal consists of a spread of seven different types of seafood, from appetizers to main courses—and it can last for hours! The feast seems to have its root in southern Italy and was bought over to the USA by Italian immigrants in … For more information, visit www.livesalerno.com. Recommended by Judy Francini, Divina Cucina, www.divinacucina.com. Cultural Presentation - Karen Haid, award-winning author of Calabria: The Other Italy, will share the beauties and wonders of Calabria, a fascinating region at the heart of the Mediterranean, to Lake Wildwood members and guests on November 27th from 2-4 p.m. in the Lake … Christmas trees and gift-giving have long been staples of Italian Christmas, il Natale.After all, gift-giving predates modern consumerism by millennia, and Italian shops and city centers have long traditions of decorating and making things for Christmas—even when things were more modest. Most Italian-Americans have their roots in Southern Italy, and the traditions from Naples are the base of holiday celebrations. Italian Christmas Recipes prepared by Italian Grandmas to help you celebrate Christmas Italian Style. Although this tradition is stronger mainly in Southern Italy, we saw our own zampognaro on the streets of Vicenza in the North a few Christmases back. The Feast of the Seven Fishes is one of the most beloved traditions Calabrians took with … During the Feast of theSeven Fishes, participants celebrate the completion of God’s promise of the Messiah through Jesus. The accolades for his tasty treat have brought tourists to town to taste Italy’s most famous Christmas dolce directly from the king himself, and you can too. The Italians will sit down for long (usually about 6 to 7 hour) feasts of many courses, even more extreme than on Easter or other holidays. The first course is pasta that varies by region. My warmest childhood memories are of our Christmas Eve parties when the whole family (around 35 of us) would celebrate the holiday together with an evening of food, gift exchange, games, and dancing. Silver Monthly 0 USD Cioffe ~ Light and crispy fried ribbons of slightly sweetened pastry. The South is known for shepherding, and lamb and goat meat are more common than in much of Northern Italy, though beef is also used. Silver (Yearly) 0 USD. For more information, visit www.eventssorrento.com. The Feast of the 7 Fishes was introduced in the United States by Southern Italian immigrants in New York City”s Little Italy in the late 1800s. Dama(Lady’s Kisses). Seven is the most repeated number in the Bible and appears over 700 times. One traditional Christmas Eve dish is capitone (eel), although it’s becoming less and less popular.These days, more common fish include baccalà, octopus, and shellfish.In Rome, a favorite local dish is the pezzetti, which are fried cubes of ricotta or pieces of artichokes, zucchini, or broccoli; in Naples, a starter is a sauteed mix of broccoli and seafood. Next comes the main event, the meat. But you can find some fun modern political pieces, famous sports figures as well as the traditional Italian people. There are still many places where the Christmas Eve dinner consists largely of fish. All Christmas markets in Italy have been canceled for 2020. Though one of the oldest Christmas traditions from Southern Italy, it remains a popular one on the tables of Italian-Americans today. In Southern Italy and Sicily fish is extremely abundant which may explain why so much of it was added to the Christmas Eve dinner. This living nativity Presepe Vivente di Custonaci is held in Custonaci, near Trapani, bringing together craftsmen and artists from all over Sicily for six days between Christmas and Epiphany. … Why Seven Fish? IT IS A MONTH LONG CELEBRATION The Christmas celebrations in Italy last for nearly a full month from December 8th to January 6th. Gold (Monthly) 25.00 USD Typical Christmas Eve dessert dishes are panforte, which is similar to an American fruit cake, panettone, which come in a variety of flavors and torrone, a hard candy typical of the holiday season. Live and heartfelt holiday most beloved traditions Calabrians took with … an Italian Household course is pasta varies. 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