Although she was born in Sicily, Santa Lucia is adored by Calabrians who created prayers and proverbs in her honor. They take Festa di Santa Lucia very seriously. Read on to explore the history of this sacred day.
The Legend of La Befana: Christmas in Italy
“There is no Santa Claus in Italy,” my Nana told me when I was a kid. Nana said she had to wait until January 6, The Feast of the Epiphany, to get gifts. The presents came from an old crone with a hairy mole on her chin who rode around on a broom. She was called La Befana.
What to Eat for An Italian Christmas Eve Dinner
Hard to believe Christmas Eve is just around the corner. Thinking about celebrating it in Italian style? Then get ready to visit your favorite fishmonger, you will be making at least seven seafood courses! That’s because Italians celebrate the Feast of Seven Fishes on la vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve). As Toni Lydecker writes, “The idea of serving seven fish …
Italian Christmas Dessert Recipe: Salame Dolce (Sweet Chocolate Salami)
Judy Witts Francini a.k.a. Divina Cucina recommends keeping this dessert in the freezer as a back-up dessert for holiday guests. We say put it on your Christmas dessert table – it is that good!
Christmas Eve in Rome: Midnight Mass at Santa Maria in Ara Coeli
Every Christmas Eve, the 124 stone steps leading to the Altar of the Heavens, or the Ara Coeli in Rome, Italy are illuminated by flickering candlelight atop the highest point of Capitoline Hill in Rome.
Sicilian Seafood Recipes for an Italian Christmas Eve — Feast of the Seven Fishes
Celebrate the Italian tradition of Feast of Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve with this Sicilian seafood recipes for Baccalà and Potato Stew alla Siracusana and Octopus al Nero d’Avola.
Christmas Eve in Italy: Celebrating the Feast of Seven Fishes, Sicilian Style
Italians traditionally serve seven fish courses on Christmas Eve. The idea of serving seven fish dishes or varieties of seafood is often linked to the number of sacraments or the days God required to create the world.
A Roman Christmas
Spending Christmas in the Eternal City? Our writer tells us everything she knows about Roman Christmas traditions as well as some non-traditional ways to spend the holidays in Rome.
Christmas Markets in Italy’s Trentino Alto Adige
The Telegraph (U.K.) recommends the region of Trentino Alto Adige in northern Italy as a great place to experience Christmas markets and a little skiing. Close to Germany and Switzerland, this lesser known region shares a long history of Christmas markets with its neighbors. “The town of Arco, three miles from Lake Garda, is particularly popular with families during the …
Rome’s Most Expensive Christmas Dinner
Rome is a popular destination for Christmas travel. As we’ll be detailing in the November 2008 issue of Dream of Italy, while many restaurants in Rome close for the Christmas holiday, many more, especially some of the top tier eateries and those in hotels, stay open to serve travelers and Roman natives alike. One of these is La Pergola in …