There’s no Christimas like an Italian Christmas!
Posted by Irene on 06/11/2018

There’s no Christimas like an Italian Christmas!
Natale is an exciting occasion to cook up some best-loved family recipes, to dine with friends and family and to be merry, of course. 
Christmas is for sure a major holiday in Italy. A way to celebrate family with traditional recipies and amazing food.
A time to stay at home (and eat!) with loved ones. But customs also vary from city to city, from exactly which dishes are served, to when to open presents, making every region an interesting place to enjoy the holidays.
In other countries, Thanksgiving, or even Halloween!,  signals the start of the Christmas season. In Italy, though, Christmas officially kicks off with the Day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on December 8. This is when decorations go up and when some Christmas markets start.
For that reason, for most Italians, Christmas is the religious event who anyone celebrate. Everything is based on the concept of a gift, a gift for somebody we love, a gift for our families, a gift for dad, a gift for mom, a gifts like Jesus was for Mary.
During that time the food is so important. And every family celebrate their love with that. Tuscan food is based on the Italian idea of cucina povera or “poor cooking.” So, in the past, during the Christmas time people used to give some meats to other families because in the country people didn’t have so much meat to eat during the year.
That’s why, even now, if you want to give something special to family and friend the first choise in Tuscany is food, especially our traditional Tuscan salumeria.
That’s not the only reason because so many italians choose the artisanal cured meat to make a gift basket to celebrate special occasion. During the Christmas Eve, la Vigilia,  people in the past used to purify their bodies for Christmas Day without eating the meat. But the day after families enjoyed to stay together for lunch having, of course, prosciutto and salame as appetizer. The flavour so special, traditional and delicious remind any italian to an old family memory. In a bite, the time magically stops around you and the people you love so much and you fell at home.
Posted in: Holidays