What is Father Christmas called in Italy?
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What is Father Christmas called in Italy?
Babbo Natale
For children in Italy, the jolly man bearing gifts is called Babbo Natale — he’s an Italian version of Father Christmas, but rarely found in the southern half of Italy. “Babbo Natale is really someone who came from the northern part of Europe,” said Betta Alinovi.
What is the Italian version of Santa Claus?
Italian children call Santa Claus ‘Babbo Natale’. He is becoming more popular in Italy for gift giving on Christmas Day but La Befana, the old woman who delivers gifts on Epiphany on 6th January, is still more common.
What does La Befana look like?
She is usually portrayed as a hag riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and is covered in soot because she enters the children’s houses through the chimney. She is often smiling and carries a bag or hamper filled with candy, gifts, or both.
Do Italians have Father Christmas?
However, nowadays many Italian families celebrate Christmas with gifts from ‘Babbo Natale,’ Italy’s Father Christmas. Some families wait until the ‘Epifania’ or Epiphany on January 6th to exchange gifts. Many celebrate on both days. Wrapped presents are not the only items exchanged on Christmas Day.
What is Italy’s Christmas like?
After what is thought of as a light dinner on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day is all about feasting. Italians cook a large lunch called ‘cerone’ of roasted meats, ‘pasta in brodo’ or pasta in broth, grilled vegetables, and the traditional Christmas cakes for a big group of friends and relatives.
What happens on the 6th of January in Italy?
The Feast of the Epiphany, an important post-Christmas date on the Christian calendar, is celebrated on January 6 as a national holiday in Italy. The tradition of La Befana, who arrives on the Epiphany, plays a big part in Italian Christmas celebrations.
What does the word Befana actually mean?
(bəˈfɑːnə ) noun. (in Italian folklore) an ugly good fairy who brings gifts to good children on Epiphany eve.
What are 5 fun facts about Christmas in Italy?
If you choose Christmas time to come to Italy, take a look at these interesting facts to experience the ‘bel paese’ to its fullest!
- Festivities don’t end on December 25.
- Gifts – When will you open yours?
- Nativity scenes.
- Bagpipes and tombola season.
- Panettone or pandoro?
- Christmas bonus.
- On Christmas Eve don’t eat meat.
What are Italian Christmas traditions?
One old Italian custom is that children go out Carol singing and playing songs on shepherds pipes, wearing shepherds sandals and hats. On Christmas Eve, it’s common that no meat (and also sometimes no dairy) is eaten. Often a light seafood meal is eaten and then people go to the Midnight Mass service.
Why do they burn Befana?
Pagan origins The feast of this fairy-tale old lady, so much beloved and feared by Italian children, takes origin from the “old lady” which was burned in the squares to celebrate the end of the year, a symbol of time cycles always ending and beginning again.
What foods are eaten on Epiphany in Italy?
traditional foods eaten on the Epiphany in Italy are:
- Sweets, sweets and more sweets of any kind (it’s like an Italian Halloween, full of treats!)
- Caramelized apples (typical of Christmas markets especially)
- Cavallucci di Siena (soft biscuits from Siena, Tuscany)
- Anicini Liguri (biscuits from Liguria served with wine)
What do you leave out for Befana?
Being a nice old witch (albeit not much to look at), La Befana is also said to sweep the floor for you. You in exchange are required to leave out a little glass of wine for her, which seems only fair really. La Befana is said to have been doing her housework when the 3 Wisemen passed by her house.
