You may know “Buon Natale!” means Merry Christmas in Italian, but do you know Italian Christmas traditions? The Italian festive season is tied to traditional Catholic holidays, even though religious observances aren’t as common as in the past. Today, Italians celebrate Christmas with religious devotion, traditional celebrations, and joyful feasts.
The holiday season begins in late November and continues through Epiphany in early January. Each region of Italy offers unique customs and rituals; however, a few Italian Christmas traditions occur across Italian homes. These include the holidays of Santa Lucia, La Viglia, Natale, Santo Stefano, Capodanno, and Epifania.
You’ll encounter Italian Christmas traditions like tree lighting, holiday decorations, nativity scenes, and characters like la Befana and Babbo Natale during those times.
While living in Italy for 12 years, I dove headfirst into the Christmas holidays. Though I’m not a practicing Catholic, I participate in all the events, such as midnight mass and various feasts and celebrations. I learned to love the procession of the Italian holiday season, with a clear beginning and end.
If you, too, are curious about this magical time of year in Italy, we here can help you plan a real-life adventure to travel in Italy yourself. Until then, read on for some insider knowledge into Italian Christmas traditions, including intel on Italian Christmas markets, huge Christmas trees, and some Italian folklore.
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What are the Italian Christmas traditions?
Some Italian Christmas traditions are like those in the US, such as manger scenes, midnight mass, a yule log (ceppo di Natale), Christmas lights, and Christmas trees. However, some things are uniquely Italian. For example, their Italian Santa Claus is called Babbo Natale, and they have a friendly witch, La Befana, who fills stockings, not at Christmas but in January! Much like our Santa, this witch can give us sweet treats or a lump of coal, depending on whether you’ve been naughty or nice.
Babbo Natale: The Italian Santa Claus
No Christmas would be complete without Santa Claus, affectionately called Babbo Natale or Father Christmas in Italy. Babbo Natale’s modern form as a jolly, gift-giving figure dressed in red has been influenced by the globalized image of Santa Claus, but he is also tied to older traditions of gift-bringers. Babbo Natale shares the spotlight with other gift-bearing figures like La Befana and, in areas like Trentino-Alto Adige, the Christkind, or baby Jesus.
The Advent Calendar
Advent calendars, known as Calendario dell’Avvento, count down the days from December 1 to Christmas. They’re sold as a kind of chocolate box, with each day marked, and inside each box is a treat. Children delight in advent calendars, which can be found everywhere, from the supermarket to the newspaper stand to even IKEA. Most Italian families partake in the advent calendar tradition in some way or form, if not with candies, then with little trinkets or snippets of a story.
Regional Christmas Traditions
Italy’s diverse regions each have unique ways of celebrating. For example, the northern region of Trentino-Alto Adige is famous for its traditional Christkindlmarkt or mercatino di Natale (aka Italy Christmas markets), where visitors can buy handcrafted ornaments, toys, and food. In cities like Bolzano and Merano, these markets are accompanied by carolers and the smell of mulled wine (vin brulé), making for a super cozy and festive atmosphere.
What Christmas decorations do Italians use?
Like in the US, Italians traditionally have a Christmas tree, Christmas lights, a manger scene, and sometimes a Yule log. Cities all over Italy decorate with white or colored lights along the busy streets, and shops might put a festive Santa Claus or Christmas tree in their shop windows.
Christmas Lights and Decorations
The Italian Christmas season begins in early December when holiday lights and decorations adorn towns. In cities like Florence, Rome, and Milan, the lighting of Christmas decorations is a much-anticipated event. There is usually a countdown, and even the town mayor is present to do the honors.
Florence starts with dazzling displays on December 8, coinciding with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The streets are decorated with twinkling lights, and a giant Christmas tree is erected in front of the Florence Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore. The official countdown to Christmas begins when crowds gather in the piazza, and everyone counts down from 10. The tree and all the city lights then turn on simultaneously.
The Christmas lights in Rome also go up around the first week of December and are lit on December 8. The city’s most famous holiday decorations are in Piazza Venezia, where a massive Christmas tree is displayed, along the elegant shopping street of Via dei Condotti. The Vatican is another crucial location for holiday decorations, with an impressive life-size nativity scene and massive tree set up in St. Peter’s Square.
December 7 in Milan is the feast of Sant Ambrogio, a day dedicated to the city’s patron saint, and when Christmas decorations are lit. The lights are turned on in Piazza del Duomo and along the luxurious shopping street of Via Montenapoleone. The grand Christmas tree in front of Milan Cathedral and elaborate window displays in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II make the city center a more modern but still magical place to visit during the holiday season.
The Presepio: Nativity Scene
One of the most significant Italian Christmas traditions is the presepio, or nativity scene, which represents the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Italians take pride in setting up elaborate scenes in their homes, churches, and public spaces. The tradition dates back to 1223 when St. Francis of Assisi created the first live nativity scene in Greccio. Many Italians set the nativity out around December 8 but don’t add Jesus until the morning of the 25th.
In my Italian-in-law’s home, the nativity scene takes center stage and has an envious spot under the Christmas tree. My mother-in-law collects fresh moss, leaves, and branches and makes a detailed presepio with twinkling lights and various characters from the Bible.
Today, many towns in Italy are famous for their gorgeous presepi, with some communities holding competitions to see who can create the most beautiful display. Naples, in particular, is renowned for its Presepio Napoletano, an elaborate and theatrical version of the nativity scene that includes not only the Holy Family and shepherds but also various characters from Neapolitan daily life or Italian pop culture. You can also visit the historic street Via San Gregorio Armeno, where artisans and vendors sell nativity pieces of every kind.
In the town of Matera, a spectacular live nativity scene is reenacted in the ancient cave dwellings, which attract visitors from all over the country. Farther north, in Manarola in the Cinque Terre region, a stunning illuminated nativity scene is spread across the hillside.
Italian Christmas Holiday Calendar
Now that you know the main Italian Christmas traditions, here is a timeline of when they are all celebrated. The traditional holiday period runs from Dec. 7 or 8th through January 6, with the 6th being the last day of the season.
December 8th: La Festa dell’Immacolata
This is the traditional start to the Christmas season, and it’s also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception or the Immacolata Concezione. This is an official national holiday, and most Italians spend the day decorating. It’s also the day many cities turn on their Christmas light displays, usually with a festive countdown.
December 12th and December 13th: Santa Lucia
Santa Lucia is another classic Italian tradition, although not all Italians celebrate it. Santa Lucia is a significant figure in northern Italy, especially in regions like Lombardy and Veneto. In these areas, she is seen as a bringer of light during the darkest part of the year, and processions, lights, gift-giving, and special masses in local churches mark her feast day.
Traditional dishes such as salted cod (baccalà) and green figs are also served. In some regions, children write letters to Santa Lucia asking for presents, and on the night of December 12, they leave out food for her donkey and coffee or wine for Santa Lucia herself. In cities like Verona, large processions and unique markets take place in her honor, filling the streets with festive joy.
December 16th to 25th: Novena
Throughout Italy, but especially in the south and Sicily, Novena is an essential part of the Christmas tradition. It is a series of prayers and church services held over nine days from December 16 to 25, leading to Christmas. Another fascinating tradition is bagpipe players, known as zampognari. These musicians travel from house to house, playing traditional music to announce the coming of the Christ child. This is especially popular in southern regions, including Calabria, Sicily, Puglia, Basilicata, Molise, and Campania.
In Vatican City, a Christmas tradition is a pope-led mass held on St. Peter’s Square on December 24th. It usually takes place around 7:30 PM, and tickets go on sale in November. It sells out quickly, and tickets are limited, but Italians everywhere tune in on TV to watch it live. In addition to the Vatican, masses are held all over Italy, starting around 11 PM on Christmas Eve with the vigil prayers. This is known as midnight mass, extending until midnight so that devoted churchgoers attend church the minute it becomes Christmas Day.
December 24th: La Vigilia di Natale
Another of the Italian Christmas traditions is eating seafood on Christmas Eve. While the Feast of the Seven Fishes is a strictly Italian American holiday, it’s not unusual to find things like calamari, eel, and tuna on the menu for the night before Christmas. Want to know what is traditionally eaten on Christmas day in Italy? Check out our traditional Italian Christmas Food guide.
December 25: Natale
Christmas Day is quiet, usually with a big lunch or dinner with close family. Babbo Natale visits the night before, and Christmas morning will be spent opening presents and relaxing. My family usually has a big late lunch, with many courses. My mother-in-law likes to make Christmas-colored foods, so we eat green, red, and white lasagne, plus red apples baked and sprinkled with white powdered sugar. There is always a primo and secondo (first and second course), and the meal lasts up to 3 hours!
December 26: Santo Stefano
The Christmas festivities don’t end with Christmas Day. Santo Stefano, celebrated on December 26, is a national holiday honoring St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The day is typically spent visiting extended family, sharing meals, and enjoying time together. Many Italians take advantage of the public holiday to visit nearby towns or take a short trip.
December 31: Capodanno
December 31, or the Notte di San Silvestro, is New Year’s Eve. It’s usually a big party, with fireworks, noise makers, and counting down to midnight, much like you would find in the US. After the Notte di San Silvestro, the party continues with Capodanno, or New Year’s Day. If you’re curious about how Italians eat on New Year’s Eve, check out our traditional Italian New Year’s food guide.
January 5th and 6th: La Befana and the Epiphany
Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of the Italian holiday season is the celebration of La Befana. On the night of January 5, La Befana, a witchy woman on a broomstick, flies through the sky to deliver candies or small gifts to children. It might seem strange, but there is a history there.
According to folklore, the three wise men approached the Befana on their way to Bethlehem, but she refused to join them in their quest to see the newborn Jesus. Later, realizing her mistake and bearing gifts, she set out to find the Christ child but could never do so.
Therefore, to this day, La Befana searches for baby Jesus, riding her broomstick through the sky and delivering treats to good children. In regions like Rome, the Befana’s arrival is celebrated with unique markets and fairs, particularly in the famous Piazza Navona, where children and families gather to buy toys, sweets, and Befana dolls.
Italian Christmas Traditions Frequently Asked Questions
Italian Christmas traditions are deeply rooted in family and faith, and they vary from region to region, but some common practices include:
- Presepe (Nativity Scenes): Almost every church and many homes will have a nativity scene. The crafting and display of nativities is an art form, especially in Naples, famous for its detailed and elaborate scenes.
- La Vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve): Many Italians celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a tradition that involves a meal of seven different types of fish, reflecting the Roman Catholic practice of abstaining from meat until Christmas Day.
- Midnight Mass: Attending the midnight mass service, or "Messa di Mezzanotte," is a pivotal part of the Christmas celebration for many Italian families.
- La Befana: Celebrated on January 6th, this tradition involves a witch known as La Befana who delivers gifts to children, similar to Santa Claus, marking the end of the holiday season.
Italian Christmas decorations often involve both modern and traditional elements:
- Lights and Trees: Many towns decorate their public squares with lights, and families typically decorate Christmas trees in their homes.
- Nativity Scenes: Beyond the usual decorations, the nativity scene, or Presepe, is a central element in Christmas decorations and can be quite elaborate.
- Outdoor Markets: Outdoor Christmas markets are common, especially in northern Italy, where towns have Germanic influences. These markets might include wooden stalls selling crafts, gifts, and seasonal treats.
Food plays a crucial role in Italian Christmas traditions, with specific dishes prepared for this festive time:
- Christmas Eve: The meal is typically meat-free, with fish playing a central role. Dishes might include baccalà (salted cod), fried fish, and pasta with seafood.
- Christmas Day: Foods often include rich and hearty dishes such as tortellini in brodo (tortellini in broth), roasted meats like lamb or capon, and traditional sweets such as Panettone (a Milanese fruitcake), Pandoro, and Torrone (nougat).
- New Year’s Eve: Lentils, symbolizing wealth and prosperity, are commonly served with cotechino, a spiced pork sausage.
Get To Know Italian Christmas Markets
As you explore the enchanting Italian Christmas traditions—from decorating with nativity scenes to the lively festivities of La Befana—you’ll find that Italy celebrates the season with unique warmth and charm. To immerse yourself in the holiday spirit, visit one of the country’s beautiful Christmas markets, where traditions come alive with festive lights, artisanal crafts, and local delicacies. Our guide to Italy’s ten most beautiful Christmas markets will help you discover the best spots to experience these seasonal customs firsthand.
Have Us Plan Your Italy Trip
The Christmas season in Italy is one of the most underrated and most enjoyable times to be in Italy. If you want help making all your Christmas market dreams come true, contact us for a travel consultation with one of our expert Italy planners!
