Christmas in Italy – Teach the KIDS
Merry Christmas in Italian is Buon Natale!
You don’t have to be headed to Italy for Christmas to have a few magical Christmas daydreams about Buon Natale! But, if you are thinking about a trip to Italy it is fun to learn about holiday traditions. Incorporating some Italian traditions or portions of them into your own holiday celebrations will have your family learning and thinking about your trip before you even go!
Christmas in Italy – Decorations and Presepi (nativity scenes)
The Colosseum is a magical sight – no matter the time of year or season, but…Christmas adds extra magic to everything, doesn’t it?
Even the pope decorates for the holidays. There is a nativity scene and tree outside the Vatican every year. Read about visiting Vatican City with the kids and making it educational and fun for the whole group!
See the world’s oldest permanently displayed nativity scene in Rome at Santa Maria Maggiore. It was carved in the 13th century and you can see it in the underground chapel of Christmas. Below the altar is a reliquery that contains part of the original manger. Read more about this fascinating and unique nativity here. Photo from SanTiana.ru
Christmas in Italy – Holiday food
Panetonne
Panetonne is an Italian type of sweet bread that comes from Milon. It is typically enjoyed around the Christmas holiday, but now, thanks to the internet and capitalism, you can enjoy Panetonne year round! Panetonne is hard to make because it has to rise three times – for almost 20 hours. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time to deal with that. Thank you amazon and the bakeries in Italy that bake and ship!
You might be familiar with the sweet bread panetonne. Toasted it makes a wonderful breakfast treat! It takes several days to make a panettone cake so don’t feel badly about buying one. They are delicious and easy to get right out of the box!
The Legend of Pannatone
Once upon a time, in the 15th century, there was a very powerful Duke of Milan named Ludovico il Moro. The Duke invited his friends over for a feast and told his cook to make the most delicious food. The cook really wanted to make a good impression so he spent a lot of time creating the perfect meal. But, while he was creating a wonderful meal…he forgot all about the dessert in the oven. It was burnt to a crisp! Oh, no! What would he serve for dessert! The Duke would be embarrassed and angry! Luckily for the cook, he had a new little kitchen boy named Tony. Tony had prepared himself a snack and suggested the cook use it for the desert. The cook had no choice but to try it. The sweet cake, from Tony’s suggestion, was a big hit with the Duke and his friends! When the Duke asked what the new creation was called, the cook replied, “L’e ‘l pan de Toni” meaning – the bread of Tony. The name later became Panettone.
I don’t know if it is true or not, but it makes for a great story to tell while eating delicious sweet bread.
Seafood
The Christmas Eve meal in Italy usually means fish. In southern Italy, seafood is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve and is related to the Catholic tradition of avoiding meat on the eve of certain holidays. Included in this ‘no meat’ holiday eve is Christmas eve.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an American name for the Christmas eve meal which can include 7-9 fish dishes. The most famous of these 7 dishes is salted cod fish which is called baccala in Italian.
Again, thanks for the brilliance of those who have created the shipping industry, you can bring Itlian baccala into your home just in time for an Italian Christmas eve dinner!
Seafood of all sorts makes the Christmas menu in Italy.
Pasta
Pasta is always on the menu!! Kids love it, too. We eat spaghetti for Christmas dinner in my family, although we’ve added the traditional smoked turkey as an additional menu item, too, and I use my great-grandmother’s spaghetti sauce.
My great-grandmother’s sauce is such a favorite that I make it as gifts for friends. Who doesn’t enjoy a homemade meal once in a while!
For fun, I usually use holiday shaped pasta, too which the kids love! I love spaghetti for a holiday meal because it is so easy and everyone loves it! Even kids love posta. Make the sauce ahead for ease. It even tastes better the next day.
Fun shapes make Christmas spaghetti even more fun! Just like eating off the special plates makes everything taste better.
COMING SOON – My Great Grandmother Grace’s Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Christmas in Italy – Holiday sweets
Biscotti (also called cantucci or cantuccini)
Biscotti is a familiar Italian cookie. These are very, very hard! If you make them without nuts you can let your teething toddler enjoy! For a great biscotti taste – try Giada’s recipe here.
The word biscotti means ‘twice baked’ which is how the cookie gets to be so hard. The hard cookie, made for dunking, is eaten all over Italy, but the most famous biscotti of all comes from a famous bakery in Florence.
The Prato bakery in Florence has been making biscotti cookies since 1858 with the same recipe. The factory in Florence, still using the secret recipe, is run by 3 generations of the Pandolfini family whose ancestor was an aprentice of the original baker, Mattei.
Click to buy the delicious chocolate version and see if you agree it is the best!
You can get the traditional biscotti taste from these biscotti cookies that are made in Prato, Tuscany using the most traditional recipes from the area.
Biscotti makes a GREAT gift, too! Everyone loves treats at the holiday. This biscotti cookie gift basket is pretty and delicious. Indulge. You can diet come the new year, right?
If you are snacking on biscotti you are in good company! Christopher Columbus carried them on his travels because they keep so well!
Spumoni
Most people are familiar with the ice-cream spumoni, but there are also spumoni cookies! Spumoni cookies give you a little bit of the taste of the delicious spumoni without the summer feel of ice cream. Great recipe here with store-bought dough! So easy and pretty.
Cucidati
My mom’s side of the family is from Sicily and this fig cookie originates there: Cucidati. This cookie is time consuming and labor intensive but a real treat. It helps to make the dough ahead of time. Your family will beg for them every year! Try this cucidati recipe from Proud Italian Cook.
Make Christmas cookies together!
Spending time together is always a wonderful way to make memories. Since kids love cookies, baking and most especially tasting…why not use this time to add in some culture from the rest of the world?
But, if baking isn’t your thing, don’t feel badly. Just order some delicious Italian treats online and spend your time snuggled up with the kids reading great books from Italy! Memories are created in lots of ways. These fig cookies from Circo’s bakery are delicious and there is no mess to clean up in the kitchen. You’ll find a list of Italian Christmas stories below.
Amazing Italian Wine
What fun is baking without a festive glass of your favorite wine? Get into the holiday spirit Italian style with a fantastic wine. These are a few of my favorites!
Limoncello! This is so refreshing and it’s acidic bite pairs well with the sweetness of cookies.
The BEST balsamic vinegar
It makes a great gift! It’s sooo much better than anything you’ll find at your local grocery story.
Use balsamic vinegar drizzled over fruits or as a marinade for meat. I love to make a glaze using local honey and the best balsamic vinegar I can find. Just combine and simmer for about 20-30 minutes until it is thick and rich. Keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. This delicious, rich glaze is great over roasted asparagus!
Christmas in Italy – Holiday gifts
No Santa Claus here – St. Nicholas and La Befana
Italian boys and girls who have been very good during the year get a visit from St. Nicholas and the Christmas witch named La Befana. La Befana is a kindly old woman or witch, depending upon the story, who goes door to door looking for the Christ child so she can give him a present. Along the way, she gives gifts to boys and girls on January 5th each year – Epiphany Eve. She carries a broom to sweep away the old year to make room for the new. In Venice, she arrives by boat!
Read the book to the kids and then give them the ornament to put on the tree! Put a little Italian fun in your Christmas.
La Befana: An Italian Night After Christmas by Sunday Frey – Blanchard and Roger Frey The story of La Befana, the Christmas witch.
Gubbio, Italy is home to the world’s largest Christmas tree. Who knew? (You heard it here first. 😉 Kids love to hear about world records!
The Guinness Book of World’s Records officially recognized the 2,132 foot tree in Gubbio, Italy as the world’s largest in 1991. That record has held since. It uses 25,000 feet of electrical wire and must take cooperation from the whole town of only 33,000. What a great result from team work and cooperation!
Christmas in Italy – Read stories
Reading to children is such a gift. They love snuggling in your lap, all warm and cozy. They love getting your attention. They love listening to stories. What’s not to love about all of those things for you, too? Make some wonderful Christmas memories with an Italian flavor this year.
Enjoy these special Christmas books about Italy!
Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola is wonderfully warm holiday book. Strega Nona is creating the Christmas Eve feast with the help of her assistant Big Anthony and the baker’s daughter, Bambolona. There is pasta, magic and fun! Written for kids aged 4-7 years old, but perfect for all ages. Lexile Measure: 660. Length: 32 pages.
The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie de Paola is another wonderful story from Tomie de Paola! This story is about the Italian witch, La Befana, who seeks the Christ child. During her constant search for baby Jesus, she gives gifts to children who have been good all year! Written for kids aged 6 -9 but wonderful for kids of all ages. Lexile Measure: 460L. Length: 32 pages.
The Christmas Witch by Ilse Plume This story of La Befana, the Christmas witch, includes the story of baby Jesus and really highlights the religious convictions of La Befana. Written for elementary school aged children. Length: 27 pages.
Buon Natale: Learning Songs & Traditions in Italian (Christmas) by Sophia Rossi Great way to learn a little about customs and get a feel for the lilt and melody of the language. Sing some Christmas songs in Italian with the audio CD. Written for kiddos aged 5 and up but a great way to enjoy a little Italian for any age!! Length 32 pages.
Jingle the Christmas Clown by Tomie de Paola Jingle, the clown, and his animal friends put on a circus performance for the town. Sweet and as wonderful as you would expect from Tomie de Paola. Excellent choice for a Christmas read with Italy in mind! Written for elementary school aged kiddos.
Christmas in Italy by World Book Staff So popular it is sometimes out of stock so order soon. The wonderful book explains so much about the holiday in Christmas! Written for ADULTS but includes crafts for children. Length: 80 pages.
Christmas Ornaments with an Italian feel!
Give the whole family an ornament from Italy to remember a fantastic trip you’ve had or to start thinking about an upcoming trip! Santa always brings us an ornament that has something to do with the travel we’ve had for the year and when the kids grow up and take the ornaments to their new home – they’ll have a wonderful tree! We also bring back ornaments from our travels for our very special ‘Travel Christmas Tree’. Start your own tradition today!
CLICK HERE – The Travel Christmas Tree
Travel Christmas Ornaments – Rome:
St. Peter’s in Rome
Travel Christmas Ornaments – Venice, Italy
St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice
Travel Christmas Ornaments – Pisa
Travel Christmas Ornaments – Florence
Travel Christmas Ornaments – Milan
Travel Christmas Ornaments – Cinque Terre
Don’t forget to read about your destination before you go! That helps prepare the kids for what they will see which will help them be more engaged and remember more about the trip.
CLICK HERE to see the reading list for traveling to Italy.
Buon Natale – Merry Christmas!
Natalie, The Educational Tourist
First of all, so nice of you to include stories/books in your Christmas-y list. Also glad that there’s so much about food and have to admit that I was surprised to see seafood in a Christmas menu. Traveling around the world during different occasions and celebrations is always special and a learning experience about culture and traditions. Thanks
Learning about holiday traditions in other countries is always a great idea, especially when education children. I mean what a great way to learn. I love that you share christmas books with your children to at night too. I have been to Italy a few times but I never knew that Vatican was decorated, so very cool.
That was quite an informative article I must say. Travelling to new places around festival time helps you learn about new cultures and beliefs. I can clearly see how your journey helped you learn much about Italy. Great post indeed!
Thanks! We love observing holidays in our travels because it gives you such a peak into the culture. We traveled to Istanbul during Ramadan and it was wonderful! Thanks for stopping by!
That’s quite an interesting read! I’d love to take my parents to Italy, especially to the Vatican, hopefully by next year – maybe during the holidays, too! I have been putting off a trip there because I want to explore it with them!
What a wonderful spot for a family adventure! You would all love!! Thanks for stopping by.
Rome in Christmastime looks magical! I was just there in late October and I wish I could have seen the Christmas tree all lit up. And all those Italian snacks and cookies look so delicious…. mmmm! Great book suggestions btw, I used to be a teacher and I loved the “Befana” book!
Christmas celebration in Italy kinda look same to the way the Spanish celebrates with the gigantic Christmas tree standing right at the city square, lovely indeed. As a real meat eater, I wouldn’t expect having fish throughout Christmas Eve, nice tips to know to get prepared ahead. Thanks.
Fun to learn and enjoy food. We love GIANT trees! Thanks for stopping by.
I’m Italian and this reminds me of my own family Christmas suppers. There’s always so much food and then at midnight the fruit and deserts (including my favorite tiramisu) come out and we start eating all over again! I’ve never been to Italy during the Holidays but I’m sure it must be quite magical.
I love Italy but I haven’t been around Christmas time. Rome is spectacular but with the additional of the Christmas tree your photos are even more beautiful. Also Italian food. .. . . yummy!
Italy has always been on my travel bucket list. A Christmas experience in Italy would be magical!