Myrtle Claus
The dark days before Christmas. It's cold outside. There is snow. With a bit of luck, the sun will occasionally shine. Summer and holidays seem so far away. What do you do if you crave Italian atmosphere and warmth? Then you give the festive month of December an Italian touch!
Step-by-step plan for a real Italian Christmas
How do you ensure a truly Italian Christmas this year? With the help of this handy step-by-step plan full of typical ingredients for authentic Italian holidays.
Of course you don't have to follow all our tips, just choose what you like. Bet you'll have that better Italian Christmas feeling in no time?!
1. 8 December
It is the last holiday before Christmas, which is December 8th. the day of the Immaculate, the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
For many Italians, however, it is unofficially the national holiday when Christmas preparations begin. So it's high time to conjure up those Christmas decorations!
2. Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is allowed, but not necessary. And whether it will be a real tree or an artificial tree is entirely up to you.
The advantage of an artificial tree is that towards the end of the holiday, those last days between New Year's Day and January 6, you do not continue to suck up mountains of needles.
Even a good, real Christmas tree has trouble holding needles for nearly four weeks. A real tree, of course, increases the Christmas atmosphere in the house with its scent.
3. Nativity Scene
An Italian Christmas without Nativity scene is like Romeo without Juliet, like a birthday without a cake, like a summer without sun, like… Well, you know what we mean: that's simply impossible.
If you don't have a nativity scene, now is the time to get one. A basic nativity scene is enough, with the main characters from the Christmas story, an ox, a donkey, some sheep and shepherds.
More extensive is of course also possible, with self-crafted mossy hills, illuminated towns and real waterfalls.
By the way, you don't put the baby Jesus in the next stall until Christmas Eve. And the three kings are supposed to come from afar to arrive on their camels at the stall just before January 6.
4. Christmas lights
It has changed in recent years, but until recently cheerful lights in all colors of the rainbow were part of the Italian Christmas. Preferably lights that flash on and off with a certain rhythm.
You can use these lights for the tree indoors as well as for the exterior decoration to use. You see more and more white LED lights that you can only turn on or off these days (fortunately).
5. Christmas Cards: Not Necessary
Although the number of Christmas cards sent is also decreasing in the Netherlands, it is really a rarity in Italy. Hardly anyone does it.
You call family and friends between cooking the Christmas meal and dinner. Or you send a text message.
Although a nice whatsapp message that you send to your entire contact list with one click makes it easy to wish everyone the best these days. And you just repeat that trick on New Year's Eve.
6. Pandora and Panettone
You don't have to put Christmas stollen, Christmas wreaths or Christmas wreaths filled with almond paste on your shopping list. Panettone en Pandoro well.
An Italian feast in the month of December is not a feast if it is not concluded with one or, better yet, both.
Besides, Nougat, better known as nougat, also belongs to December. Tuscan Cantuccini can also, dipped in a glass Holy wine. And how about Neapolitan struffoli?
7. The actual Christmas party: Christmas Eve and the 25th
In Italy you celebrate Christmas Christmas Eve en First Christmas Day. They don't know Boxing Day, just like Easter Monday doesn't officially exist in Italy.
Not that everyone will go back to work the 26th. On the contrary, it is the perfect day to eat the leftovers and recover from the food feast!
8. December 24: preparations for the Cenone della vigilia di Natale
December 24 is the day to cook for the very extensive Christmas Eve dinner. Of course you can still go to the supermarket to get the last few groceries at home, but you really don't have time for that if you have the antipasti, the different Primi en seconds and also for the desserts must take care.
One tip to survive dinner is not to overeat throughout the day. Not such a difficult task for most if you hang your nose above the food odors.
And then, around eight o'clock, the party starts. Including prosecco with the starters, a nice wine during the different courses, sparkling wine at the desserts expats must register with the local municipality and obtain a digestive to help your digestion.
And then if you can't say boo or bah by half past eleven, prepare yourself for the Christmas to attend midnight. Or hand out the presents you brought for everyone.
9. December 25: Christmas
You could say that the 25th is a repeat of the 24th, even though the feast is planned for lunch and not dinner. It is therefore very wise not to have breakfast or only with a cup of coffee.
And then the party starts again until the early evening. Including going to Mass and unwrapping presents if you haven't already. It's no problem at all if you skip dinner. A lot of Italians do that too.
10. Plastic Party Tableware
Just leave your most beautiful crockery in the cupboard this year. After a whole day of cooking in the kitchen, you really don't feel like washing up all those mountains of dishes that come with such an extensive meal.
Use without hesitation plastic plates and cups. The average Italian is no different during the holidays. Ordinary cutlery is recommended; plastic forks and knives tend to break rather easily.
11. Raffle and card games
Christmas time is the time when Italians tombola play. After the dinner. After Christmas lunch. In the period between Christmas and New Years. On New Year's Eve. On New Year's Day. Just when you're sitting together and you want to play a game.
It becomes even more exciting when you play with beans that you can win. Or change. If you have finished bingeing after the umpteenth game of tombola, card games are a good alternative.
12. New Year's Eve: Another One dinner
The period between Christmas and New Years is a relatively quiet period with the holidays recovering, raffles, cards and shopping for the big New Years Eve dinner being the highlights.
That dinner often has a few fixed ingredients to enforce the luck for the new year: grapes for example and the famous lenticchie and zampone: lentils and pork feet. And don't ask why, but red underwear is also part of that.
At a quarter to twelve you turn on an Italian TV channel, so that you can count down in style until the new year and at just the right time the sparkling wine can make it pop.
And then it is time not only to set off any fireworks, but also to wish everyone the best for the new year personally by telephone. Which does not always work due to overloaded lines. But persistence wins, also in this case!
13. Epiphany and La Befana
Very humane if you get the urge to put away all the Christmas decorations on January 2nd. Try to control that tendency, however, and hold on until Epiphany on January 6.
Only when they have been and the Epiphany, the good witch has handed out her candy or coals to the children, you can get started.
So, was your Italian Christmas worth repeating?
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