Christmas In Italy

[Regions of Italy]

The Holiday Season in Italy

Countless foreigners travel to Italy during the Christmas season, and while they thrill to midnight mass in St. Peter's Square, they often complain that Italy is "not very Christmasy." This is certainly true if you're looking for brightly-lit fir trees, red and green window dressings or plaster reindeer. And although Epiphany, celebrated on January 6th, may actually be a more important holiday than December 25th, the Italians love this season so much that they commemorate it for an entire month, beginning on December 8th.

The period between mid-December and early January was one constant celebration even in pagan Rome. It began with the Saturnalia, a winter solstice festival, and ended with the Roman New Year, the Calends. After Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity, instead of ending the holiday at the New Year, the celebration extended to January 6 when the Three Kings were believed to have reached the infant Jesus, and so the Romans, too, began to exchange presents on the Epiphany.

Today in Italy, Christmas trees are decorated, but the focal point of decoration is the Nativity scene. Italians take great pride in the creation of the manger, which was a sort of clever publicity stunt thought up in 1223 by St. Francis of Assisi, who wanted to involve the peasants in celebrating the life of Jesus. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City possesses a presepio from Naples that contains figurines carved from wood and dressed in garments of satin, along with 30 gold-trimmed angels of the Magi, all framed by majestic columns.

Bagpipes are the most common Italian Christmas sound. The zampognari, the shepherds who play the bagpipes, come down from their mountain homes at Christmas time and perform in the market squares. The playing of bagpipes is popular in the regions of Calabria and Abruzzo, and in the piazzas of Rome. The melodies played are adapted from old hill tunes. Modern zampognari wear the traditional outfits of sheepskin vests, leather breeches, and a woolen cloak. The tradition of bagpipes goes back to ancient Roman times. Legend says that the shepherds entertained the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. Today, the zampognari perform their own private pilgrimage, stopping before every shrine to the Madonna and every Nativity scene.

Children in Italy believe in a female version of Santa Claus called La Befana, an old woman who flies on a broom and brings presents. According to Italian legend, Three Wise Men asked La Befana for directions to Bethlehem. La Befana was asked to join them but declined three times. It took an unusually bright light and a band of angels to convince La Befana that she must join the Wise Men, but she was too late. She never found the Christ child and has been searching ever since. On January 6, the Feast of Epiphany, La Befana goes out on her broom to drop off stockings filled with treats to all the sleeping children of Italy. Just as children in America leave milk and cookies for jolly Santa Claus, La Befana collects messages and refreshments throughout the night. Click here for an entertaining book about La Befana.

Instead of sidewalk Santas and Christmas trees, visitors to Rome should keep an eye out for zampognari and pifferai, Abruzzese shepherd pipers who have been coming to town each December since time immemorial, and for presepi, elaborate nativity scenes on view all over town.
Rosemary Torigian's personal road map shows you how to tell it's Christmas in Italy.
If you're traveling to Italy over the holidays, don't leave home without this shopping list of special Christmas markets.
We asked some of our friends to share their favorite personal memories of the Christmas-New Year's season in Italy.
Although Sims Brannon is not of Italian descent, this mouth-watering recipe for Christmas biscotti comes straight from his childhood in Tennessee.
Here's a guide to many special events that recur each year all over the country.
Sor Giovanni, a bona fide guardian angel from Rome, taught our editor how to celebrate New Year's Eve in Italy.
Here's your chance to participate in the re-enactment of the very first Christmas Eve pageant ever held.
Even though Christmas trees are not very Italian, did you know Italy has the tallest Christmas tree in the World?
Practically every little town in Italy has some sort of colorful festivity for Christmas and Epiphany. Here's a list you'll want to keep for future trips.
Here's an interesting site about Christmas nativity scenes (mostly in Italian).
Italian merchants are not as “sale-prone” as their American counterparts, but prices plummet in January (generally right after Epiphany, but sometimes as early as December 26), the best time of year for sales in Italy.
Wherever you are in Italy on Christmas eve, go to Midnight Mass. Even if it's a tiny parish church, there'll be a presepio, hearty singing, lots of ceremonial splendor, and the profuse candlelight may offer your only chance to see the dark interior of many churches.

BUON NATALE !
(SUBTITLED)
MERRY CHRISTMAS

[Regions of Italy]