THE CHRONICLES OF LEO & FRIENDS: CHRISTMAS AROUND EUROPE

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 12^th 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