Give it a rounded shape and lightly press the top of the dough with your hands so as to flatten it slightly. You should get a disc, about 3 cm high and 10 cm in diameter. For some family members, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without traditional treats, like Christmas pud, trifle or profiteroles. Our new Collection perfectly matured Christmas puddingis bursting with vine fruits, cherries, almonds and festive spices and comes wrapped in a decorative reusable tea towel.

However, all regions share a common point when it comes to the end of year holidays. Italy’s history is closely linked to the Catholic religion, and so are many Italian holiday traditions. Slightly more formal, Auguro a tutti voi un sereno Natale is written more often than spoken. With this phrase, you are saying ‘best wishes for a serene and peaceful Christmas.’ I Miei Più Sentiti Auguri di Buon Natale La messa della notte di Natale (literally “the Christmas night mass”) used to be very important in Italy. Although Christmas is a religious festivity, today it’s celebrated by almost everyone in Italy, and it has almost entirely lost its religious meaning. Felice Natale There are a few interesting New Year traditions in Italy. In the past, people used to throw old things from the window to get rid of the past and welcome the new year with a new spirit.The Boot has a long history of kingdom division, invasion from outsiders, and multiculturality. Even after 1861, the year of the Italian unification, each Italian region has maintained a somewhat unique culture. Tanti Auguri di un Felice Natale a tutti – literally “Best wishes for a Merry Christmas to everyone” During the period from December 26 th (Santo Stefano Day) to December 31 st, Italians don’t wish each other Merry Christmas anymore. As the New Year approaches, the wishes are all about the Anno Nuovo (the new year that is about to arrive). For something small and sweet to serve with coffee, bring a selection of these treats to the table: mini chocolate tortes are indulgent Belgian chocolate ganache bites, while our mini macarons in raspberry, Belgian chocolate and vanilla flavours will add a touch of luxury. You can’t beat profiteroles, and as it’s Christmas, you’d better make sure they’re posh ones. Our Collection posh profiteroles are filled with sea-salted caramel cream and topped with chocolate sauce. One just isn’t enough. Why this bit of Italian trivia? It’s just a little warning: Christmas traditions vary from region to region in Italy. Details like traditional Christmas dishes or characters in Christmas legends might differ in the North and South of the country.

Gesù bambino is often placed in his manger on the night between the 24th and 25th of December. The Re Magi are brought closer to the Infant during the Epiphany. Italians celebrate la Vigilia di Natale (“Christmas Eve”) with the Cenone (“Christmas dinner”, literally “big dinner”).

What would Christmas be without its albero di Natale (“Christmas tree”)? You might also hear of it as the abete di Natale in Italy. Abete is a word to describe trees that belong to the pine family. Upset, she promised herself that every year on that same night, she would distribute presents and sweets to all good children as a tribute to the Infant. The naughty ones would get carbon as a punishment for their behavior. Buon Natale is the most common Italian phrase used to wish someone a Merry Christmas. The Italian term natale comes from the Latin natalem (birth), as part of the sentence natālem Christi (day of birth of Christ). Did you know that the nativity scenes displayed on Christmas were first used in Italy? They then spread to other Christian countries. Buon Natale a te e tutta la tua famiglia translates to Merry Christmas to you and your family.’ This is an informal sentence that you can use with both friends and acquaintances. Italians tend to be formal only with people they don’t know at all or with elders. In these more formal cases, you can say Buon Natale a Lei e tutta la sua famiglia. Auguro a Tutti Voi un Sereno Natale

While Italy has a strong Catholic population, not all end of the year holidays celebrated in the Boot are related to the Christian religion. Some examples include Chanukah or la Festa delle Luci (“Hanukkah , literally *the Holiday of Lights”) and *Kwanzaa.

But if you’ve got some free time and love the end of year holidays… Keep me company! As a certified Christmas fan and Italian, let me tell you about Christmas in the Boot.