CHRISTMAS IN ITALY PART I: LOMBARDIA, BERGAMO (BG)
GIFTS
In my province kids are special. Santa Claus
entirely skips the province of Bergamo to focus on our neighbour mainstream provinces.
We have our own Saint, instead, and she also gets to town almost two weeks
earlier than lazy Santa. This is how it goes: on November or early December
every kid has to write a letter to Saint Lucy and possibly hand it in Saint
Lucy’s Church (but she’s cool enough to find it even if you just give it to
your parents, she’s a Saint, you know, she knows how to make miracles happen).
Then on the 12th of December all kids go to bed early but not before
having prepared some sweets and coffee for Saint Lucy and having collected some
milk and straw for her donkey, which carries the presents (yes, her help is a
donkey, she is old school). Her arrival is signaled by a bell ringing but no
kid would ever dare to check how she looks like: the saint has had her eyes
gouged out and has the power to blind nosy kids. So if you follow this
procedure and provided that you have behaved during the year, you’ll keep the
use of your sight and you’ll get sweets and presents.
FOOD
As you know, food is a big part of every
tradition in Italy and Christmas is one of the most important banquettes during
the year. Being from the North, we celebrate Christmas at noon, whereas people
from the South, usually celebrate Christmas Eve’s dinner. In both cases, we
think that the more the merrier, so usually the group comprises 20-30 people,
at least in my family. As for the menu, that varies a lot according to regional
and family traditions. That’s how we do it: an infinite amount of starters
(featuring at least three kind of quiches, carrot soufflé with stewed
mushrooms, avocado salad, shrimp cocktail and grilled vegetables with tuna
sauce, salmon croutons, olives and pistachios)
is followed by a generous portion of homemade lasagne, which can be accompanied
by stuffed beef (depending on the depth of your stomach). During the whole meal
glasses are uninterruptedly filled by Spumante
and wine. In order to prepare your stomach for dessert, you get a shot of Limoncello or Grappa. Finally, you end up this marathon with Panettone, Pandoro covered in mascarpone sauce, chocolate dates
and/or homemade ice-cream with fresh strawberries.
TRADITIONS
There are many different folkloric traditions.
I will just mention Christmas mass.
Where I live, Christmas mass is a
must, even for atheists, not because of peer pressure or Catholic guilt, but
because of the wine. In most church porches traditionally a group of Alpini will distribute vin brulée for free, or for a symbolic
offer. These moments represent a nice social event in which you meet people you
have not met along the year, exchange wishes, chat, laugh and get warm with a
nice spicy wine.
CHIARA
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