Christmas is a special holiday. In Italy, it is known as Natale and it is considered an extraordinary holiday throughout the region. It is an occasion when the ancestral traditions are honored and celebrated. It is the time of family dinners and in Italy, each region has its traditional holiday dishes.
The cuisine of any are in the reflection of the local environment. Every region has its own special dishes but one thing that is common among all the Italians is that they love food and the festivity that always brings the families together.
Here are some of the traditional Christmas feast ideas that can help in making the holiday feast traditional and extra special.
Christmas Eve:
Among Italians, the Christmas Eve is known as the Eve of the Seven Fishes. It has been their tradition for a long time. The dinner is traditionally devoid of any meat. The dinner is mostly dominated by fish dishes. The ritual foods of the Christmas Eve can vary from region to region but in a majority of the regions, fish remains the star of the meal. There is also a tradition among some people to prepare the dinners with a specific number of courses which can range from seven to nine.
If you are serving a meal with that many courses then you should create a well-balanced meal. You can do that by using a variety of fish and some shellfish. There are so many options available like appetizers, soup, grilled fish, baked, fried, stewed, fish salad and a tasty pasta dish.
You have a lot of room to be creative while following the tradition.
The breakfast:
The breakfast on Christmas day or even New Year’s Day is reserved for just the immediate family or really close friends so you can treat them with a casual meal with delicious recipes such as smoked salmon, pancakes, patties with a filling of sausages or apples, eggnog muffins etc.
Christmas dinner:
The Christmas dinner is a very special occasion and it deserves a special menu. The ritual foods vary from region to region in Italy. But to give you a little taste of favorites of different regions here is a menu that you can get some inspiration from.
You can start with Stracciatella. It is an Italian soup.
It is typically related to the region of Rome but it is also popular in Marches region. For the main course, there is a choice between porchetta and turkey. Roasted chestnuts are loved by all Italians so using them as stuffing is an excellent idea. Cornish hens and Capon are also an excellent choice for entrees. In Lombardy or Veneto region Christmas beet ravioli is also a part of holiday dinner.
At the end of the holiday meal, you can make it even more perfect by serving cookies. Cookies are a common and popular part of Italian homes.
