by Louisa Loring
There is an
old saying in Italy ‘Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi’ which means
Christmas with family and Easter with whom you like, friends or family. Christmas is an important time of the year in
which everyone comes together from afar ‘a tavola’ or around the table, where
Italians tend to spend a lot of their time.
Christmas is not unlike other Italian traditions, that is, long,
eventful and full of good food and company.
A typical Florentine Christmas celebration really starts on the 24th
with a fish dinner before evening mass at 23.00. Called the Seven Fish Dinner,
which comprises of seven courses of different fish dishes from smoked swordfish
to steamed mussels to pasta with clams, because traditionally, it is custom to
refrain from eating meat before the birth of Christ. In some regions of Italy as many as twelve
courses are served to represent the twelve days of Christmas.
The next
morning, children wake up to stockings, traces of Babbo Natale (Santa Claus)
and gifts are exchanged with family, only to be followed by another meal, this
one though, full of meat. Most Italians
eat at home but various restaurants are open for Christmas lunch in Florence
serving up platters of cured meats and cheeses, piping hot bowls of tortellini
in broth and mounds of boiled meats and vegetables. To top things off, Panettone or Pandoro (bread
of gold), a sweet bread from Northern Italy is served with a strong espresso to
pull you out of your food coma.
After
Christmas lunch, it is most traditional for families to go to the cinema. For
those who want to walk off their lunch and get a breath of fresh air, it is
also tradition to take a stroll in the countryside or in a beautiful area in
Florence, if weather permits. Other
families, however, stay at home and play tombola, an Italian game similar to
bingo in which each player aims to cover their number board first and yelling
out ‘tombola!’ The evening closes with a light dinner of the broth made from
cooking the boiled meats served for lunch.
And that’s
not all! The 26th is the
national holiday of Santo Stefano, which is primarily a day of rest. Most everything is closed in town, except the
movie theaters, for those who didn’t make it after Christmas lunch. Most Florentines take it easy and wake up
with no schedule; they sleep in and enjoy it.
After all the hard work and preparation for the previous days, it is
surely time for a rest, and that it is: no one does the cooking because
leftovers are the star of today’s meal.
 |
| The tombola |
But
Christmas is still not over. Celebration
lasts for a full 12 days, hence ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ until the 6th
of January, known as ‘La Befana’ or the Epiphany feast, which celebrates the
story of the three wise men or kings who come bearing gifts to Jesus. The story behind the Befana comes from a
fairytale about a woman on a broomstick who flies all over Italy bringing
presents to children. Florence is no
different in embracing this holiday by organizing a grand parade in the
afternoon that runs through the city center.
It is a final time to see Florence all done up, decorated, and beaming
with Christmas spirit before the next year to come.
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