Christmas in Tuscany

Curious to know how the most famous and beloved holiday of the year is celebrated in Tuscany? Christmas is not only a holiday when gifts are exchanged but also brings with it customs and traditions, passed down from one generation to the next, that have been repeated for centuries. And it is during these days that customs and traditions rooted in time are rediscovered.

In Tuscany, Christmas is a cherished holiday and is celebrated mostly within the family. In particular, Tuscan Christmas traditions are very much linked to the element of fire as the bringer of light, warmth and hope.

Even today, in some parts of the region, the ancient ritual of the Christmas log is still celebrated. This is a large log of wood, more exactly what is found at the base of a tree, which is brought into the home on Christmas Eve. Once lit, this large log must burn until Boxing Day and even beyond, in some cases until Epiphany. The log protects the house from danger and has a very strong meaning because fire is a symbol of life, death and rebirth.

In the heart of the Amiata, in Abbadia San Salvatore, a ceremony is held that seems to have its roots even before the year 1000, when pilgrims were making their way along the Via Francigena. On the evening of the eve a large log is lit from which many smaller torches are then lit scattered throughout the historic center and the rest of the town. Another ritual related to the Christmas log is held in a small town in the province of Lucca, in Gorfigliano. On the evening of December 24 on the most visible hills of the town, at the sound of the bell that kicks off the prayer, the Natalecci, imposing constructions that can be close to 20 meters high made by weaving branches and shrubs, are lit.

In addition to these time-honored traditions there are other more recent and modern ones. For the past few years, the city of Florence has been offering the traditional F-Light festival, which, throughout the holiday season, covers the main urban spaces with lights and colors, thanks to video-mapping, projections, lightshows and art installations. The festival has now established itself as one of the most important events of its kind in Europe.

But Christmas in Tuscany is also and above all linked to traditional recipes and dishes that, despite the passage of time, always return to the table.

Certainly some culinary offerings have changed but there are recipes that are synonymous with celebration itself. For Tuscans, dinner and lunch are an expression of the joy that comes from family togetherness. They are prepared with top-quality ingredients and include menus full of delicacies.

A typical and quintessentially Tuscan menu includes as its first course the classic chicken liver crostini, an extremely simple and tasty appetizer that is an instant party starter. The crostini, before being stuffed, are soaked in hot broth. Cold cuts and simple bruschetta with new oil are also inevitable.

Among Christmas first courses there is never a lack of homemade pasta strictly cooked in a meat broth made from the slow cooking of capon. As for pasta especially tortellini or cappelletti stuffed with meat, which are not typically Tuscan but are perfect with the broth. In some households ribollita, a soup made with stale bread, cabbage, beans, spinach, tomatoes, pork rinds or ham bone, is served.

Among the main courses, the main dish is capon stew, the protagonist at various times on the holiday table. In fact, its broth is used to cook fresh pasta. In the old days, every family raised and fattened its capons. Another classic second course is pork arista alla fiorentina, which used to be eaten only on feast days. In seaside areas, on the other hand, cacciucco, a delicious fish soup typical of Livorno cuisine, is prepared, although there are several variations of it prepared in various parts of Tuscany.

And finally the sweets, which include: panforte, typical of Siena, made of almonds, candied fruit, mixed spices, sugar and honey; cavallucci, which are cookies made of walnuts, spices and candied fruit; ricciarelli, marzipan sweets made with egg whites, sugar and chopped almonds; and befanini, shortbread cookies sprinkled with granulated sugar.

Spending Christmas in Tuscany means immersing yourself in a magical atmosphere full of flavor.