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Abundance is key when it comes to traditional Italian food at Christmas, and like many other countries, Italian Christmas dinners and desserts vary from region to region, and from one household to another. Let's have a look at these traditional Italian Christmas foods that are common place in Italian Christmas Eve dinners, and Christmas day lunches, so that you can celebrate Christmas like a true Italian in 2020. 

Here, Italy is divided between those who put more importance on the dinner of Vigilia, the evening meal on the 24th December, and those who prefer lunch on Christmas Day.

While the typical Christmas dishes of the various Italian regions are varied, it’s worth giving special mention to agnolotti pasta, polenta with salted cod Baccala or boiled meats lesso with sauces in the Veneto region; canederli and roe in Trentino.That said, one constant of all Italian Christmas meals is the dried fruit and desserts like panettone, torrone and pandoro. In addition to these classic Italian Christmas sweets, each region hasits own typical Christmas sweets.

The 26th December, Boxing day as we know it, is another excuse to eat in Italy with the Christmas feasts continuing into what is known in Italy as “Il Giorno de Santo Stefano” (Saint Stephen’s Day). While Italy’s Boxing day isn’t quite as elaborate as the previous days’ meals, it’s compulsory to enjoy the leftovers from the previous days. The Italians are pretty creative, adding new ingredients, enhancing dishes with eggs to make a frittata, or adding leftover meat to hearty stews. While Il Giorno de Santo Stefano doesn’t have any particular gastronomic traditions in Italy, this lunch tends to be creative and is the perfect time for families to branch out and try some unusual pasta dishes or exotic soups and stews. 

No Christmas feast in Italy would be complete without an array of sweet treats and desserts which are enjoyed throughout December, right through to the arrival of the New Year. And Italy’s Christmas desserts aren’t just for after dinner but are brought out again and again during the holidays and enjoyed with a good coffee or a drink on some occasions. Here are some of the most popular Italian sweets and desserts in Italy at Christmas time.

Let’s begin with the most traditional Italian Christmas cake, panettone. This delicious bread-like cake is eaten during the whole festive season in Italy and beyond. This sweet fruit loaf usually contains a mix of raisins, candied orange, and lemon zest, and is shaped like a dome. Many families will have their own family recipe, while panettone is also readily available in shops and supermarkets.

During the Christmas season, Italians can be divided into two groups: those who like to eat panettone, and those who prefer pandoro. Pandoro is Verona’s answer to panettone and is a raised butter cake of a similar consistency which is usually baked in a star-shaped mould. Unlike panettone, pandoro never contains dried fruit and is finished off with some icing sugar. One of the best ways of eating this sweet treat, according to the locals, is by cutting a thick slice and enjoying with a generous layer of chocolate spread.

Torrone is the Italian equivalent of nougat and is another popular sweet treat in Italy during the Christmas season. Italian torrone is one of the finest of its kind and comes in different flavours and textures. This chewy, sweet white treat is dotted with toasted almonds, and is traditionally made with honey, sugar, egg whites and the nuts and extra flavours of your choice.   

The Christmas and New Year parties are perhaps among the most delicious occasions of the year in Italy. It is a well-established tradition to bring families together not only to exchange gifts, but to rediscover the joy of meeting at the table together, even though celebrations in 2020 may be a little smaller than usual.

The New Year's Eve Gala Dinner is traditionally full all kinds of delicious treats: the zampone and the cotechino accompanied by lentils. The latter represents the money that will accumulate during the year: the more you eat, the more money you’ll make!

The meal ends with dried fruit and grapes. According to tradition, it is important to have grapes on the table on New Year's Day because those who eat grapes for New Year's Day count their money all year round. New Years Eve in Italy is celebrated with firecrackers and fireworks of all kinds that illuminate the sky to welcome in the 1st January. At midnight, all exchange good wishes and toast with prosecco!