The tradition-bound southern Italians begin the Christmas season on the eve of December 8, the feast of St. Immacolata (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary). It is eaten especially in the city of Matera, Basilicata together with the family a large wreath of savory pastry with fennel seeds called U f'cc'latidd. Only on this evening it is eaten fresh. In some families it is served with stockfish and a glass of wine, in other families only the pastry is served and dipped in olive oil from the previous year. The actual festive day, December 8 is also the starting point, when the Christmas tree is put up and decorated for Christmas. In addition, on the evening of December 8, tradition-conscious families once again have a dinner consisting of spaghetti and stockfish - which is called baccalá. Another integral part of the Christmas season is that people play games to pass the long winter evenings in company. Almost every evening people meet with family or friends, eat together, hold a raffle or play cards. Very often they play for money and the game is also taken very seriously. The tradition with the games begins, of course, on December 8 and ends on January 6, on the feast of the three kings.
On Christmas Eve - as you would expect - people also get together with their families, eat together and go to Mass. At midnight they celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus, with a gift-giving ceremony, and wish each other a Merry Christmas. Unlike in Germany, the gifts are usually very small. On December 25 there is a big lunch with many courses in the circle of the family, just like on December 26.
The end of the Christmas season is then ushered in by the Feast of the Three Kings. For the children a very special day. Socks, like we do for St. Nicholas, are put out. The reason is that there is a legend of a witch - La Befana - who flies from house to house on a broom on the night of January 5 to 6. In search of the baby Jesus, shedistributes delicious sweets in the socks, or as a punishment stuffs pieces of coal into the socks of the naughty children. When the holiday of January 6 is finished with another meal in the circle of loved ones, the magic of the Christmas season also fades and you look with joy to the next feast.
- Marisa, Karlstein am Main