The Feast of Natale

The Feast of Natale

~ Blog post #2 ~

April 13, 2015

By Julianna Zukowski

Although Italians are known throughout the world for their pizza and pasta, Italy has differed greatly by region. Whether it’s the noddle’s consistency or tomato sauce, they all have their own flavor depending on where you are in Italy.  When the feast of Natale (A Traditional Italian Christmas), they celebrate 3 meals with their own traditional dishes. Family gatherings are the most important part of Natale. The meals prepared are a type of ritual and has been served the same way throughout generations. The most important meal is Christmas day lunch. Classic antipasti salads, lasagna, and roasted veil are the main course for the celebration. A favorite Italian dish to make for the lunch is called Lasagna Alla Bolognes: (http://www.delallo.com/recipes/lasagne-alla-bolognese

One of the most important ways of celebrating The Feast of Natale in Italy is having a Nativity crib scene set up inside of your home. St. Francis of Assisi in 1223 (Assisi is in mid-Italy) used the Nativity scene to tell the story of the baby Jesus. This tradition of setting up the Nativity scene has been around since. Another important  way of celebrating their holiday is to eat Italian Christmas Cake called “Panettone” on Christmas Eve, which is a dry fruity sponge cake.