Christmas in Italy

Christmas in Italy falls on December 25 (festive season runs from December 8 to January 6). For many families the celebration stretches across several days, with quieter moments at home alongside the busier public events.

Many families set up an elaborate nativity scene called a presepe, often before the tree. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is widely attended. In many southern regions, families share La Vigilia, a meatless Christmas Eve dinner of several fish courses. The season closes on January 6 with La Befana, a kindly old woman who brings sweets or small gifts to children.

Christmas Eve often centres on fish dishes, with a tradition of seven or more fishes common in parts of the south. Christmas Day commonly features stuffed pasta in broth, roasted meats and seasonal vegetables. Panettone from Milan and pandoro from Verona are the iconic Christmas cakes.

Some families exchange gifts on Christmas Day, while others wait for January 6, when La Befana traditionally fills children's stockings. Babbo Natale is increasingly common, especially with younger children.

The festive figure most associated with Christmas in Italy is Babbo Natale, with La Befana on January 6. Names, costumes and gift giving dates can vary from family to family and from region to region.

Panettone has been baked in Milan since at least the 15th century and is now exported around the world during December.

For most families in Italy, Christmas is not a single day. It is a stretch of four to six weeks that starts in late November and runs into early January. Advent shapes the first half. Shops, streets and homes warm up gradually. By the time the main date of December 25 (festive season runs from December 8 to January 6) arrives, the city has already been festive for a month.

The week between Christmas and the New Year is quieter than the build up. Many workplaces close. People visit older relatives, take long walks, eat the leftovers slowly and watch the same films they watched as children. Epiphany on January 6 closes the season in most Christian traditions.

• How early the season starts. Christmas lights in Italy usually appear in the second half of November, well before December begins.
• How small the gift exchange can feel compared with the food, the music and the time spent at the table. Christmas here is more about gathering than about unwrapping.
• How important Babbo Natale, with La Befana on January 6 is to the children, and how stories about the gift bringer differ from town to town and from family to family.
• That most shops close on the main holiday. Plan grocery runs a day in advance and you will avoid the only stressful part of the trip.

Christmas markets and main festive events usually run from late November to a few days before December 25. If you want the full atmosphere, aim for the first or second week of December. Book trains and intercity buses early. Prices on the busiest travel days can double.

Pack for the weather you would expect in late winter in this region, plus one warmer layer for evenings outside. Bring small gifts if you are staying with a family. A box of sweets from your own country always lands well.

For the rituals, dishes and gift bringers in other countries, browse our Christmas around the world hub or compare customs side by side in the Christmas Traditions Explorer.

Most households start the Christmas list in the first week of December: who is coming, who is cooking, who is travelling and on which day. Gift shopping is usually finished by the second or third weekend of December. The last week is for food, decoration and the small rituals that children remember more than the presents.

Our Christmas checklist works for this kind of season. If the budget is tight this year, the Christmas on a budget guide has ideas that fit most households.