Christmas in Italy
By Joy J. Fine
Christmas in Italy is a much longer and more elaborate celebration than the one that takes place in the United States. It begins nine days before Christmas day and continues into January. It begins with a celebration called Novena. This is a time when musicians come to entertain at the homes of those who practice this tradition. They are given something small for their performances to help them buy gifts for the Christmas season. The performers are often dressed as shepherds. Daily prayers are said in the home leading up to Christmas Eve.
Along with the Novena most households in Italy will be making a nativity scene to be displayed prominently in their homes. The reason for this goes back to the time of St. Francis of Assisi who liked to carry out mass in front of a nativity scene. These nativity scenes are called Presepios in Italy and it is now very common for each family to work hard to make their mangers the most beautiful they can. They are often made from figurines that are hand carved or the very best china with the details of the people and animals being very precise. It has become a matter of great pride to the family to strive to make their nativity scenes as realistic as possible. In Italy, Christmas is about much more than just the giving of gifts.
On the day of Christmas Eve everyone fasts. This seems to be in preparation for the incredible meal that is served the morning of Christmas in Italy. The meal is huge and usually consists of various pastas including spaghetti and tortellini. There are sweet dishes like panetoni, which is a cake, and amaretti which is made of almonds and eggs baked together. Chocolates are served along with spumante, which is a sparkling Italian wine. Also on Christmas Eve another tradition is practiced. This is because during this Christmas celebration there is another way that gifts are given. Beside the nativity scene there is a bowl placed which represents the Urn of Fate. Inside it are several brightly wrapped small gifts. The woman of the household begins by picking a gift from the urn. If it has her name on it she may keep it, if not she must put it back and wait her turn to try again. Christmas in Italy is also a time for the Italian people to gather at Vatican square to listen to the Pope give his blessing. Then at the end of the day they gather by the nativity scene in their homes to sing songs, light candles and spend a little more family time. The celebration of Christmas officially winds down on January the sixth when the Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated and gifts are given. Interestingly this is not a time when Santa rides in on his sled. It is not he who the children are waiting for but Befana the witch.
The story is told how Befana was busy at home when the Three Wise Men came by on their way to see the baby Jesus. They asked her if she could share some of her food with them and allow them to stay the night. She refused and they left. Not long after she regretted her words and tried to see if the strangers were still around so she could invite them in. Feeling bad she decided to try to follow them. Oddly she could not find the manger where the baby was. So to this day she continues looking by visiting every household in Italy and leaving gifts for the children hoping that one of them is the baby Jesus. If the child in the house she visits has been bad she will leave only coals. This scary looking witch dressed in black, riding her broom to the houses of the children is the one that all the children wait for during Christmas in Italy.
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