What do Italians eat for Christmas? Get ready for the festive season with these traditional Italian Christmas dishes.
Traditional Italian Christmas food
Traditional Italian Christmas food Getty images

Christmas in Italy is a time for celebration, and with food playing such an important role in global holiday traditions, it’s no surprise that feasting is central to Italian Christmas. Natale is the perfect occasion to enjoy family recipes and festive meals with loved ones—especially after the pandemic.

What do Italians eat for Christmas? While Christmas meals and desserts vary by region and family, there are some festive foods enjoyed across the country. From northern specialities to Sicilian sweets, Italy offers a wide variety of Christmas traditions. One thing is certain: abundance is key! Forget turkey, ham, and Christmas pudding—Italian Christmas fare, including desserts, is a feast in itself. Whether it's Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day lunch, or snacking on traditional sweets, these are the best traditional Christmas foods Italy has to offer.

La Vigilia di Natale: Traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner

Italy, traditionally a Catholic country, observes the custom of refraining from eating meat on Christmas Eve. This stems from the Catholic tradition of fasting before a religious holiday, making fish the centerpiece of the Italian Christmas Eve dinner. Rather than a single fish dish, Italians enjoy a variety of seafood, from calamari and salt cod to eel. These traditional Italian Christmas fish dishes are made with the freshest ingredients and prepared in diverse ways—fried, with pasta or potatoes, or in a rich sauce, depending on the region and family tradition. And yes, you heard right—Italian Christmas pasta is always part of the festive spread!

Italian Christmas dinner: 7 fishes

Italian Christmas food traditions also have unique twists across the globe. Many will also be familiar with the “Feast of the Seven Fishes”, a title which isn’t a strictly Italian tradition, but an Italian-American one. Typically, on Christmas Eve, families gather around a feast of seven different seafood dishes or one or two different types of fish prepared in seven ways. However, despite the popularity of this feast among Americans, many Italians in Italy haven’t actually heard of the tradition (although they might enjoy seven fish dishes on Christmas Eve all the same).

Natale: Christmas Day lunch

Christmas day lunch in Italy is another family orientated meal, and even nowadays, some modern families enjoy an Italian Christmas brunch together with sharing platters and drinks. The more traditional option however is still a good Christmas day feast at lunchtime which is known to last for hours and can have more than a dozen courses. Christmas Day in Italy is an occasion to enjoy meat, and lots of it.

Italian Christmas dinner courses

Italian Christmas dinners are multi-course feasts that vary by region, but they all share a focus on abundance, family, and traditional recipes. Here's a general breakdown of the courses you can expect at a typical Italian Christmas dinner:

  1. Antipasti (Appetizers):
    The meal often begins with a variety of antipasti, including cured meats like salumi, cheeses, olives, pickled vegetables, and marinated seafood. You might also find traditional Italian appetizers such as bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms, and crostini topped with pâté or cheese.
  2. Primi (First Course):
    The first course is typically a pasta dish. Common choices include lasagna, tortellini in brodo (tortellini in broth), or ravioli filled with rich ingredients like cheese, meat, or spinach. In southern Italy, you might also find spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams) or other seafood pasta dishes, reflecting the tradition of eating fish on Christmas Eve.
  3. Secondi (Second Course):
    The second course is often the star of the meal, featuring meat or fish. On Christmas Day, you might enjoy roasted meats like arista (roast pork), tacchino (turkey), or agnello (lamb). In some regions, cotechino (sausage) served with lentils is a festive dish, symbolising prosperity for the coming year.
  4. Contorni (Side Dishes):
    Side dishes vary depending on the region and the main course, but they often include roasted vegetables, insalata (salads), and mashed potatoes. In some areas, sautéed greens like spinach or broccoli rabe are served alongside the meat.
  5. Dolci (Desserts):
    No Italian Christmas dinner is complete without a selection of sweet treats. The most iconic Christmas desserts are panettone (a sweet bread loaf filled with candied fruits and raisins) and pandoro (a sweet, golden bread), often enjoyed with a glass of spumante (Italian sparkling wine). In some regions, you might also find struffoli (fried dough balls covered in honey and sprinkles) or torrone (nougat).
  6. Digestivo (Digestive Liqueurs):
    After the meal, Italians often enjoy a digestivo, such as limoncello (lemon liqueur), grappa, or amaro to aid digestion and provide a final note to the festive celebration.

Each course is often accompanied by a selection of wines, chosen to complement the flavors of the food, and the meal is a time for long, relaxed enjoyment with family and friends.

Il Giorno de Santo Stefano: Boxing Day lunch

December 26th, known as Boxing Day in many countries, is another opportunity to indulge in Italy, where it is celebrated as Il Giorno di Santo Stefano (Saint Stephen’s Day). While the meals on this day aren’t as elaborate as those of the previous days, it’s customary to enjoy the leftovers from the Christmas feasts. However, in Italy, leftovers aren’t just reheated; they’re reinvented with flair. Italians elevate their leftovers by adding fresh ingredients, using them to create dishes like frittata (an Italian omelette) or adding leftover meats to rich stews. Although Il Giorno di Santo Stefano doesn’t have any specific gastronomic traditions, this meal is often a creative one, where families experiment with unusual pasta dishes, hearty soups, and stews, making it a continuation of the festive Christmas celebrations.

Traditional Italian Christmas desserts

No Christmas feast in Italy would be complete without an array of sweet treats and Italian Christmas desserts which are enjoyed throughout December, right through to the arrival of the New Year. And Italian Christmas desserts aren’t just for after dinner but are brought out again and again during the holidays and enjoyed with a good coffee or a drink on some occasions. Here are some of the most popular Italian Christmas desserts and sweet treats:

Panettone

Let’s begin with the most traditional Italian Christmas cake, panettone. This delicious bread-like cake is eaten during the whole festive season in Italy and beyond. This sweet fruit loaf usually contains a mix of raisins, candied orange, and lemon zest, and is shaped like a dome. Many families will have their own family recipe, while panettone is also readily available in shops and supermarkets.

Pandoro

During the Christmas season, Italians can be divided into two groups: those who like to eat panettone, and those who prefer pandoro. Pandoro is Verona’s answer to panettone and is a raised butter cake that has similar consistency which is usually baked in a star-shaped mould. Unlike panettone, pandoro never contains dried fruit and is finished off with some icing sugar. One of the best ways to eat this Italian sweet treat, according to the locals, is by cutting a thick slice and enjoying with a generous layer of chocolate spread.

Struffoli

Struffoli are delicious fried dough balls that are traditionally dipped in a honey syrup. These Christmas bauble-like sweet treats are fried in hot oil, topped with sprinkles, and traditionally arranged like a pyramid or as a wreath. They are most typically eaten in Naples.

Torrone

Torrone is the Italian equivalent of nougat and is another popular sweet treat in Italy during the Christmas season. Italian torrone is one of the finest of its kind and comes in different flavours and textures. This chewy, sweet white treat is dotted with toasted almonds, and is traditionally made with honey, sugar, egg whites and the nuts and extra flavours of your choice.   

Italian Christmas traditions

Italian Christmas traditions go beyond food and are deeply rooted in family and religious celebrations. The season begins with the Advent calendar, leading up to Christmas Eve (La Vigilia), when families gather for a special dinner. On Christmas Day, many attend Mass, celebrating the birth of Christ. In some regions, nativity scenes (presepi) are displayed, often elaborately crafted and depicting the birth of Jesus. On December 26th, Il Giorno di Santo Stefano is celebrated with family visits and continued festivities. The holiday season extends into the New Year, with many enjoying fireworks and outdoor celebrations. Throughout it all, Italians cherish time spent with loved ones, marking the season with warmth, faith, and joy. Find out more in our guide to Christmas traditions in Italy