L'Epifania tutte le feste si porta via
"L’Epifania tutte le feste si porta via", this is an Italian proverb which means that past the Epiphany, all the festivals and celebrations are over, and you start the life of every day.
I always thought that those who love Rome have to visit it under the Christmas period. In fact, in this period the city is magical, the only problem that affects the feel is that it doesn't snow.
Perhaps you have wondered how the Italians spend the Christmas holidays, well all begins on 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, in addition to various religious ceremonies is custom to put the Christmas decorations in the streets and houses (although, unfortunately, many start earlier to decorate).
Then we arrive at 24 December, the day of Christmas Eve. An Italian proverb says "Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi", which means Christmas is spend with family and Easter is spend with friends; so, we spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with the family.
During the Christmas Eve there is the famous "cenone" (big dinner), according to tradition it's forbidden to eat meat, so we eat only seafood.
After the dinner we exchange gifts, and at midnight, who wants it, go to Church. Some families exchange gifts the next morning, at Christmas; in my family we have always exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve.
A curiosity on this day is that it's always transmitted in the evening the film "Una Poltrona per Due” (Trading Places), in fact many consider this as a Christmas tradition!
On Christmas morning the children receive other gifts brought by Babbo Natale during the night (Babbo Natale is the Italian name of Santa Claus); we spend the day with family and eat a lot, practically the luncheon lasts several hours in which we eat, we chat and we being together. Those who love to eat and those who love Italian cuisine should try to spend Christmas with an Italian family, especially in these days you eat a lot of really good stuff! During the afternoon usually play cards (Briscola, Scopa, Scala 40, Sette e Mezzo, etc.) and Tombola (similar to Bingo), this is your chance to win some money, because in these games we play for money.
The same thing happens the next day, 26 December, St. Stephen's Day.
On 31 December, we celebrate the end of the year, I don't think there are many differences with many other nations: we are together with friends or family, and we waiting for the midnight to toast, and see and do fireworks.
Finally, on 6 January we celebrate the Epiphany. The Epiphany is a feast that marks the arrival of the three Magi following the star of Bethlehem, arriving at the place of Jesus' birth In Italy, in fact, the significance of this festival is a bit lost, nowadays the Epiphany is more seen as the feast of the Befana. The Befana is an old woman, looks like a witch but it's good, and fly using a broom through every house and bringing sweets to good children, in fact, on the evening of December 5, children leave a sock empty in the house and the next morning they found in it sweets and candies if they have been good, instead if they have been bad they find in it coal.
In Italy there is also the custom of making a crib in home, usually prepares the 8 December creating the scenario and positioning of the characters, except that baby Jesus is added on 25 December. Finally, the three Magi are added on 6 January.
As mentioned earlier, the Epiphany takes away all the festivities, so, with Epiphany, end up all the feast days.
In fact, 7 December is the anniversary of the birth of the Italian flag (this year has made 216 years ago), but it's an institutional feast, so there isn't a real feast.
Of course this is a brief summary of how work the Christmas holidays in Italy, each village has its own traditions and ways of celebrating, in Rome there also held many events that I have not listed.
Anyway, I hope you spent a enjoyable holiday and I recommend you go to Rome, or in general in Italy, to spend a different kind of Christmas!
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