Three things have shaped Italian culture; agriculture, the Catholic church and the family. It is no surprise, therefore, that Italian holiday cuisine is influenced by these three big cultural icons. As in a any cultural cusine, Italians have foods that are traditional for specific holidays.
A good place to start is an Italian Christmas Eve. It amy come as some surprise that an Italian Christmas Eve dinner is a lighter meal. On Christmas Eve you will never see beef or pork on an Italian table. In fact, you will rarely see pasta or other grain products. Instead, you will be served a variety of seafood dishes. Shrimp in various preparations is common, as are oysters and clams. Snails also make an appearance. Seafood was traditionally seen as a poor man’s diet. So, on Christmas Eve such food is served, symbolic of a fast.
The next day is a different story altogether. All the traditional foods associated with Italy make an appearance. There is always a pasta course served with meat, usually lasagna or tortellini. Dessert will consist of homemade cookies, pastries and cakes. The usual Christmas cake is a
One of the most important Italian holidays is one usually not known outside of Italy. On March 19th, the feast day of St. Joseph, Italians clebrate by opening the doors of their homes and feeding any and all who show up to partake of the traditional St. Joseph’s day table. It is a day of feeding the hungry and needy, so literally anyone who rings the bell of a home is welcome to sit down and eat. Typical foods include such springtime delights as artichokes and asparagus, along with bacala, salted cod that has been soaked in water and fried.
Italian food is good anytime, but it is during a holiday meal the cusine truly shines. Families come together and partake of traditions and food that go back hundreds of years. Take advantage of the holidays to experience an side of Italian cusine that you may not have known existed.