4 ITALIAN CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS 🎄🎁

Hello guys and welcome back to my channel! If you're new here, hello! My name is Germana and today I'm going to tell you something about the Christmas tradition here in Italy. How do we celebrate this special day, what we eat and something related to this festivity in general. But first guys, if you want to see any other video related to the Italian culture and tradition for me in the future, just make sure to subscribe down below and turn on my post notifications so you never miss another upload. Are you ready? Let's get started! Christmas is coming and even though this year is going to be a bit different than the past years, I thought it would have been interesting for you guys to know something more about how we Italians are used to celebrate and enjoy this festivity. We really feel the Christmas atmosphere since the end of November, when shops and cities start adorning their windows and streets. For this reason, it's very easy to bump into a presepe, which is an activity seen while strolling around, as well as being delighted by zampognari playing merry songs or smelling calda roste and vin brulee on every corner. But actually the season officially starts on the 8th of December, that is il giorno dell'immacolata concezione, the day of the Immaculate Conception, which for this reason is holiday here in Italy. On this day we usually decorate our homes and trees, we also bake biscuits and wrap presents to put under the Christmas tree. So from this day on the Christmas atmosphere is very strong and I personally love it. On the 24th of December we have la Vigilia di Natale, the Christmas Eve. We usually don't eat meat during this day, rather we eat a high variety of fish and seafood dishes. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are observed differently all over the country, some prefer having a light dinner on the 24th waiting for the huge Christmas lunch on the following day and others do the contrary. Of course there are others who eat a lot but tasting differently. But one way or another it's now time to brindare, to make a toast with a nice glass of spumante. And of course to eat. Typical sweet treats are Pandoro, which is a sweet bread from Verona, and Panettone, which is a sweet bread from Milan. You recognize Panettone because it's the one garnished with raisin and sometimes with candied fruit. Of course every region has its own special treats but I would say that these ones are like the must-have on an Italian table at Christmas. Yet we also eat Torrone, which is a long rectangular bar of chocolate garnished with nuts, usually hazelnuts, and oh my gosh it's so good. I remember it happened to eat a whole bar together with a friend of mine. It was crazy but guys it was really really worth it. There is a saying here in Italy that you spend the Christmas day with your loved ones and Easter with whoever you want. Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi. It's very strong the concept of spending the Christmas day with your loved ones, with your parents, sitting around the table almost all day long, trust me, playing board games, testing Italian delicacies and unwrapping presents. But celebrations are not over yet. We also celebrate the day after on the 26th of December which is il giorno di Santo Stefano, Saint Stephen's Day, which is another occasion to gather with your parents, with your loved ones, and spend some time together eating and tasting some homemade delicacies. And this continues up to the 31st of December on the New Year's Eve which is la notte di San Silvestro. It normally starts late in the afternoon with an aperitivo and is followed by the famous cenone, which literally means big dinner, that most of the time includes cotechino, a gelatinous pork sausage cooked with lentils. You know tradition wants that if you eat as many lentils as possible after the midnight countdown you'll be richer in the new year coming. And that's because lentils have this round shape that reminds the coins one. I still think I haven't eaten enough lentils in my life. I mean I'm also a huge fan. The following day instead, so on the 1st of January, we usually enjoy some time to rest and stay with our families. The bravest have the courage to eat a lot also on that day, but I prefer to stay light after a whole month, let's say, of big meals. You might think again that celebrations are over, but they're not yet. As a matter of fact it's not only Babbo Natale, that is to say Santa Claus who brings gifts to children. Right across the country, marking the end of the holiday season on the 6th of January, there's also La Befana or l'Epifania, the epiphany. On this night children wait for La Befana to come into their houses. She's depicted like an old witch-like woman who arrives on a broomstick and comes down to chimneys looking forward to filling kids' stockings with candies, sweets, chocolate or even a lump of coal for those who have been naughty. I remember the first time I received a lump of coal. I was around 7 years old and I didn't know it was actually a sweet. So I remember I looked at it like, what's this for? This doesn't look good. I think that it's very very funny to see children's reaction opening their stockings and it's also a nice moment for adults. I mean, stockings are for any age. I still actually, I still enjoy receiving a stocking today. Maybe because I'm a glutton, especially of dark chocolate, but it's a very nice moment to share with your loved ones and with your parents. So good, that's all for today guys. These were my four Italian Christmas traditions that I wanted to share with you. Maybe you knew them all, maybe you not. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed this video and I'm actually curious to know which traditions do you have, if you do, in your country to celebrate this period of the year and if there are many similarities to the Italian tradition. So feel free to share them in the comment section down below. I'll be glad to hear from you and learn some new traditions. Thank you guys for watching this video. If you want to connect with me, you can find me on my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter account. Wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please stay safe and strong and see you next time. Ciao!