Christmas is the main holiday of the year, a holiday that in the popular tradition, it was linked with other celebrations of the Christian liturgical season, which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, which in Western Christianity falls on December 25.

After Jesus’ birth the Christmas is not immediately introduced as a Christian feast, but we must wait the fourth century into the Roman Empire.

On this day people live in peace, exchange gifts, abandone social divisions and have rich meals. Children believe in "SANTA CLAUS", the man with a white beard and red suit that carries a bag with sweets and gifts.

Santa Claus, or at least a very similar character really existed, it is St. Nicholas. In our fantasy he’s a man dressed in red with a white beard.

Houses, trees and roads are decorated with candles and lights.

   

The day before Christmas should be a day of fasting and vigil in which we should

prepare to celebrate the holiday.

 

The Christmas lunch is abundant and it is consumed at home, with the relatives.

Panettone is the traditional Christmas cake made with dried fruit and dusted with sugar

Torrone is always accompanied by Panettone, which is composed of hazelnuts and almonds

Cicerchiata is very sweet made with sugar and bound with honey. Decorated with colored sugar.

All the desserts are always accompanied by a red wine; Vin Santo wine or Visciola.

The image of an evergreen as a symbol of renewed life is a traditional theme, both in this world that in the ancient and medieval, probably later assimilated by Christianity.

On that days we also use to make a “presepe” –crib - with puppets but also living cribs. The invention of the crib as we know it today, is attributed to St.

Francis the first living crib was in 1223, in Umbria since then in Italian homes the crib is a way to recall the moment of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The crib is made up of various characters:

the most importants are The Madonna and her husband Joseph with their

Child Jesus.

Then we have the Magi

In Christian tradition the Kings are Magi (astrologers), probably priests who according to the Gospel came from East Jerusalem to worship the child.

The LIVING CRIB now has become an event in many Italian cities. It requires a great work and the participation of hundreds people.

In most of the Italians town in December traditional Christmas Markets are held. You can buy local crafts items, Christmas decorations and of course, the delicious Christmas sweets

All cities are adorned with lights,Christmas trees,music on the streets and with various decorations few days before Christmas Eve.

Italy has a culinary tradition on Christmas. It varies from region to region

Marche

VS

Nouvelle Cuisine

Tradition

Marche’s Christmas tradition

Christmas Lunch

Christmas Eve Dinner

It consists of mainly fish dishes

Don’t miss the traditional Ancona style stockfish

It is a time when you meet the whole family

Ingredients (for 6 people)•Stockfish already wet: 700 g •Tomatoes peeled: 300 g. •Potatoes: 50 g. •Milk: 1 cup•White wine : 1 cup •Carrot: 1 •Garlic: 2 large cloves•Extra virgin olive oil•Butter: 30 g. •Salt•Pepper

Procedure:• Clean the stockfish and cut in

regular pieces ;• Put the stock in the milk for

3-4 hours,• Drain it and keep the milk;• Fry the garlic and carrot

chopped. • Put the stockfish in a

saucepan with the skin down ;

• Sprinkle with some of the Fried vegetables and fillets of tomatoes, salt and pepper.

• Form some layers;• Cover with peeled and sliced

potatoes • Pour over the rest of the wine

and milk. • Cook for about 3 hours

Traditional menu:

1. Pasta with clams;

2. Stockfish Anconetana style

Creative menu:

1. Shrimp and potatoes with truffle sauce

2. Pasta with cod and little tomatoes

3. Stockfish Anconetana

style4. Trifle with

praline of chocolate

mousse.

All family members work to prepare the traditional Cappelletti (Stuffed pasta) with broth for the Christmas lunch

The pasta is worked plain and cut. After you put the stuffing, made up of ground capon, Parmesan cheese and eggs, Then close the cappelletti in their traditional form

On Christmas the women rise in the morning to prepare the capon broth that would accompain the cappelletti.

Children rise even before the women to open the gifts

Farmers consumed their best products

A rich meal in meat You can’t miss:

• Cappelletti with the capon borth

• Boiled of capon

• Torrone

• Panettone

• Cicerchiata

Traditional desserts

Traditional Menus:

• Boiled of capon with green sauce ;

• Cappelletti with broth

• Mixed roast meat ;

Creative menus:

• Crepes mushrooms with white truffle

sauce,

• Cappelletti with broth,

• Pork roast with mashed potatoes,

mushrooms and spinach.