Holidays Around the World Presentation By: Max Denena To say Merry Christmas in Italian, you say Buone Feste Natalizie.

Favorite Traditions Starting eight days before Christmas, children go from house to house reciting poems and singing. Another tradition Italy has is, in Rome cannons are fired to announce the beginning of the holiday season. To do the gift giving in Italy, family members gather around “The Urn of Fate”, a large decorated bowl that holds wrapped gifts for members of the family. When the family gets together, each family member takes his/her turn drawing a gift from the Urn until all presents are distributed.

The Holiday Dinner Menus can vary with recipes handed down from one generation to the next. One example of a meal starts with pasta and then meat and vegetables. Last, they eat cheeses, fruits, and sweets.

Santa Claus Santa’s name in Italy is La Befana. She has no helpers. La Befana is a witch-like character who rides on a broom.

Other Facts One interesting fact about Christmas in Italy is that families in Italy try to outdo each other by presenting the biggest crib or manger. Another interesting fact is that the three wise men looking for Jesus stopped at La Befana’s hut to ask directions to the stable holding Jesus. One last interesting fact about Christmas in Italy is that La Befana had a baby who died.

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