Eating Italian THE TASTES OF CHRISTMAS Touring Italian AN ITALIAN CHRISTMAS Snapshots Read previous entries... Eating Italian The Tastes of Christmas When I ask Italians what they do most during the Christmas holidays, they say, "Mangiamo" (we eat)—very often and very well, with a huge feast on Christmas Eve, il pranzo di Natale at mid-day on Christmas, and il cenone di capodanno, another elaborate dinner on New Year's Eve. In some regions the Christmas feasts must have seven courses (for the seven sacraments); others serve nine (the trinity times three) or thirteen (for Jesus and his twelve disciples). The centerpiece of the Christmas Eve dinner is fish, particularly eel, a favorite of the ancient Romans that appears in the earliest known cookbook, written by a gourmand known as Apicius. This symbol of life and immortality was traditionally sold alive and wiggling, then beheaded, chopped and dropped into boiling water, spit-roasted, grilled, stewed with white wine and peas, or pickled in vinegar, oil, bay leaves, rosemary and cloves. The Christmas day feast usually starts with a rich pasta, such as cappelletti in brodo, little hats stuffed with chopped meats, cheese, eggs, or pumpkin. By tradition everyone is supposed to eat at least a dozen. Depending on the region of Italy, the main course may be capon, pork or turkey. However, everyone saves room for the special dolci (sweets) and breads of Christmas. These include: Panettone cartellate—curly ribbons of dough that symbolize the sheets on which baby Jesus lay calzoncelli—the pillows for his head latte di mandorla—Virgin's milk calzone di San Leonardo—shoes of St. Leonard, which represent the cradle pangiallo—round breads crammed with fruits and nuts (an ancient symbol of fertility) panpepato—peppery and dark, somewhat like gingerbread panettone—cake filled with candied fruit, raisins, hazelnuts, honey and almonds   Touring Italian An Italian Christmas You can find bigger Christmas trees (alberi di Natale) and more extravagant decorations (decorazioni) in the United States, but nothing looks, tastes, feels or sounds like la stagione natalizia (Christmas season) in Italy. With roots in the "Saturnalia," the winter solstice rites of ancient Rome, and Christian commemorations of the birth of Gesù bambino (Baby Jesus), the Italian holidays blend religious and pagan festivities that light up the darkest of nights. In Rome and southern Italy, the traditional sound of Christmas is the music of bagpipes and flutes played by shepherds from the Abruzzi. According to legend, shepherds entertained the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem with their simple instruments. Zampognari (bagpipe players), wearing shaggy sheepskin vests, felt hats and crisscrossed leather leggings, used to come to Rome weeks before Christmas to play in churches. These days the shepherds arrive later and play their ancient instruments in front of elegant stores along the Via Condotti and other shopping streets near the Spanish Steps. Festivities such as fairs and torchlight processions begin weeks before and continue weeks after December 25. Here are the key dates to keep in mind if you are planning a trip: December 6: La festa di San Nicola, the feast of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of shepherds December 8: La festa dell'Immacolata, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a Catholic holy day honoring Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus. In Rome the Pope comes to the Piazza di Spagna to drop a garland of flowers around the statue of the Madonna. (Since she tops a high column, firemen on ladders do the actual placement.) December 12: La festa di Santa Lucia, the festival of lights December 24: La vigilia di Natale (the vigil, or eve) December 25: Natale, which literally translates as "birthday" December 26: La festa di Santo Stefano, Saint Steven's day December 31: La festa di San Silvestro, Saint Sylvester's day, or New Year's Eve (la vigilia di Capodanno) January 1: Il Capodanno, literally the top of the year January 6: L'Epifania, Epiphany, which marks the arrival of the Re Magi, the three wise men, who brought gifts to the infant Jesus from afar