Christmas is the most awaited holiday all around the world.
Everybody love Christmas, from children to grandparents, people from different cultures and ethnic groups year-round hope for this holiday and celebrate in their own way this magic feast, that recalls unity, joy and peace.
Also In Italy we have our own Christmas habits and love to celebrate in our way, even different from other european countries. In this blog post we are going to talk about these typical Italian Christmas traditions.
Christmas traditions in Italy, Nativity Scene
“Presepio” is a representation of the the Holy Family and its nativity.
This tradition was born exactly in Italy and has ancient origins, dating back to Romans and Etruscan ceremonies, during which some statues were put on an altar where families joined to pray. In the modern nativity scene are represented the place and all the characters of the nativity and this custom became popular since statues and religious representations increased in Italian churches.
The first living “presepio”, was created by Saint Francis of Assisi who popularized the image of the crib, in 1223. This tradition, is deeply rooted especially in Naples, where the wood statues with cloth dresses are out-and-out works of art. Hundreds of them, mostly handmade, are erected throughout the city, are very elaborate and can even cost thousands of dollars. The best nativity scenes can be found on the street of San Gregorio Armeno.
As regard as Rome, you will find the most elaborate and largest nativity scenes in the churches in the Piazza del Popolo, Santa Maria in Trastevere, Piazza Euclide and Santa Maria in Aracoeli. In the Vatican as well in Christmas time is set up a huge Presepe in St. Peter’s Square.
Another important tradition in Italy is the living nativity scene called “Presepe Vivente”: costumed people that act out events of the nativity.
Christmas traditions in Italy, Christmas tree
Its origins are linked to numerous legends, some of them to pagan cults, others to christian ones.
In Northern Europe pagan cults, the fir was venerated as a long life symbol. The custom to exhibit it at home started from Germany, and then spread all over Europe. This tradition entered in Italian homes just at the end of the XIX Century, when the wife of Umberto I decided to set it up in the Quirinale, the presidential palace; hence became a popular habit. As for the presepe, according to Italian tradition, it has to be set up December 8th, during the feast of Immaculate Conception, instead it is disassembled January 7th, after Epiphany.
Christmas traditions in Italy, Santa Claus and the Befana
The folkloristic figures linked to Christmas are basically 2: Father Christmas (also known as Santa Claus) and the Befana.
The first one is well known everywhere and has the same origins in all the Christian world. It derives from the Bishop Saint Nicholas of Bari, that during Christmas period used to give presents to poor people. Its modern representation (red suit and reindeers) instead is quite recent and dates back to XIX century.
The Befana is linked with Epiphany and according to a popular tradition this term designated a particular old woman, a character rooted in Italian rural past that represents the old mother nature. This woman, after giving all her energies all the year round, appeared like a old and kind witch, who riding a broom, (before being burned down, in order to give birth to a new young Nature), started travelling all around to give sweets and gifts, as seeds that would grow the next year. In italy this event is particularly heartfelt and parents put sweets and presents in big stockings, the evening preceding the Epiphany. Children, fibrillating, go to bed and the morning after, if they have been good during the year, they will wake up eating a lot of sweets and candies with a huge smile on their face. Otherwise if they acted bad, they have to content themselves with a very sad portion of coal…well, don’t despair kids…sugar coal.