"Culture4kids" Short information about Christmas in italy

2. EPIPHANY in ITALY
January 6th is a national holiday in Italy
commemorating the 12th day of Christmas, when
the Three Kings or Wise Men arrived at the
manger bearing gifts for baby Jesus. It's called
Epiphany and closes the Christmas holiday
season. It's when Italians celebrate the tradition
of La Befana.
La Befana is a good witch wearing a kerchief tied
under her chin, a crocheted shawl, a tattered
dress and shoes and stockings full of holes. She
arrives on her broomstick during the night of
January 5th and fills stockings with toys and
sweets for good children and lumps of coal for
naughty ones, in return for a glass of wine.

3. ZAMPOGNARI
In the south of Italy there is the tradition that bagpipers, so called
“zampognari”, come into towns and play their merry folklore carols
with their flutes (ciaramelle) and bagpipes (zampogne) for the people.
They symbolize the shepherds who came in search of the newborn baby
Jesus at Christmas night. The Zampognari wear traditional outfits of
sheepskin vests, leather breeches and dark woolen cloaks and stop
before every Nativity scene to play their music.

4. THE CHRISTMAS CAROLS
Schoolchildren practice for months for the Christmas concert held in
front of their parents either at the school’s hall or in a nearby church. It
is a warm and hearty gathering with the adults clapping
enthusiastically and waving to their children on the stage. It is quite
cute, as children, mid-song, wave back, too.
“Tu scendi dalle stelle” is the best known Christmas Carol originating in
Italy; it’s traditionally associated with the zampogna, the Italian
bagpipe. The version with Italian lyrics actually came after the original
song written in Neapolitan by Sant’Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori in 1754,
entitled “Quanno nascette ninno” (When the child was born).

5. PRESEPE
It’s believed that St Francis of Assisi began the tradition of the
nativity scene by placing an infant on a bed of straw between a
live ox and a donkey to commemorate Jesus’ birth. During the
festive season and Christmas, a nativity scene, a ‘presepe’, is
usually put up in churches, town squares and often in houses and
it is for many the most important part of Christmas
decorations. Cribs are traditionally put out on the 8th December,
but the figure of the baby Jesus isn't put into the crib until the
evening/night of December 24th! One special thing about
Neapolitan nativity scenes, is that they always have extra 'every
day' people and objects (such as houses, waterfalls, food, animals
and even figures of famous people and politicians!). Naples is also
the home of the largest crib scene in the world, at the Museo
Nazionale di San Martino, which has over 600 objects on it! In
Naples there is a famous street of nativity sets makers called 'Via
San Gregorio Armeno', where you can buy wonderful hand made
crib decorations and figures.
Saint Gregorio Armeno street (Naples)

6. THE BEST TRADITIONAL NEAPOLITAN CHRISTMAS SWEETS
For centuries, Neapolitans have been eating the same cookies,
cakes, candies and fritters found in pastry shops today:
Struffoli or tiny balls of fried dough covered with honey and multi-
colored sprinkles: the symbol of Christmas in the city.
Roccocò: as the temperatures drop in Naples, local families begin
preparing a spice mixture known as pisto. Bakers jealously guard
their secret recipes but generally pisto consists of white pepper,
nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. The most famous Neapolitan
dessert featuring pisto is roccocò, a doughnut-shaped biscotto.
Mostacciuoli: made of honey and candied fruit
dough, mostacciuoli are dunked in dark or white chocolate, and
are often enjoyed with an after meal digestif such as limoncello or
grappa.
Susamielli: this S-shaped cookies are made of honey and sesame.
Local families serve these cookies to the zampognari, bag pipe
players who perform in Naples streets in the Christmas season.