The beauty of Christmas in Tuscany is unforgettable.  Combine history with excellent cuisine and wine, add your loved ones to the mix, and you have all the ingredients for a Christmas holiday you will remember all your life.

Christmas Shopping Tuscany

Italy is more overtly religious than most English-speaking countries.  Christianity and particularly Catholicism are part of the fabric of everyday life.  As such, there is no controversy surrounding municipal religious displays and traditional foods are enjoyed by all residents and visitors alike.

If you are fortunate enough to travel to Tuscany at Christmastime, one of the most traditional foods is panettone.  This is a cake filled with nougat or torrone, candied fruit and panforte, a candy-like confection that is topped with honey, almonds and hazelnuts.  The nuts make it quintessentially Italian as most Christmas season dishes include nuts of one kind or another.  Traditional Italians believe nuts increase fertility.  Honey is another common holiday ingredient.  With a new year approaching, honey is believed to make the New Year “sweet”.

Pannetone Cake Tuscany

Christmas festivities in Italy begin in early December with the Santa Lucia celebration December 13th.  The customary dinner on the eve of Santa Lucia includes Bollenti or Necci, crepes of chestnut flour with a special cheese.  Chestnut trees are abundant in the Northern Tuscan provinces of Massa-Carrara and Lucca, and in South Tuscany on the Amiata Mountain.  Chestnuts have a proud history in Italy as they were used to feed needy people during times of difficulty, particularly during World War II.

Ironically, it is these peasant dishes that are enjoying a renaissance throughout Europe.  These simple but wonderful recipes are now prepared by world-class chefs in Italy who command the highest price for what was a staple of the poor.

You will find marvelous new experiences as you experience the ancient history of Christmas in Tuscany with your family.