New Year's Lentils—Lenticchie Stufate di Capodanno

Lentils are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day in Italy as a symbol of good luck and prosperity; their round shape, reminiscent of coins, is supposed to ensure riches for the coming year. The accompaniment of choice for lentils is cotechino, a mild-tasting, slow-cooked pork sausage.

½ pound lentils
2 rosemary sprigs
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth, plus extra if needed
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Soak the lentils for 1 hour in cold water to cover. Drain; place in a 2-quart pot and cover with cool water, then add 1 sprig of rosemary together with 1 clove of garlic. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain, discarding the rosemary and garlic clove. Mince the remaining garlic. Heat the olive oil in the same pot; add the remaining rosemary and garlic; cool until aromatic, about 1 minute over low heat. Add the lentils, broth, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Stir well. Cook until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes, adding a little more broth if needed. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot. Serves 6

Top Italy Christmas Markets

Trentino-Alto Adige Region in northern Italy is one of the best regions for Christmas markets with its proximity to Germany. Many mountain towns hold Christmas markets selling everything from tacky items to beautiful local handicrafts. After dark, the markets are decorated with lights and there are often other festivities to enjoy. Trento, in the Trentino-Alto Adige Region, holds one of the best Christmas markets in a beautiful setting. Christmas markets start at the end of November and include more than 60 traditional wooden huts selling a variety of crafts in Trento's center. A large Nativity Scene is created in Piazza Duomo, too. Bolzano, also in Trentino-Alto Adige, holds a daily Christmas market through December 23.

Campo Santo Stefano in Venice becomes a Christmas village in December with wooden houses set up in the piazza and stalls selling high quality Venetian handicrafts. There's also regional food, drink, and music.

Trieste, also in northeastern Italy, holds its market, Fiera di San Nicolo, the first week of December. The market sells toys, candy, and Christmas items.

Verona holds a huge Christmas Market with over 300 stalls and tables the second weekend of December through December 13, Santa Lucia Day.
Naples holds a December Christmas market near Via San Gregorio Armeno, known for its many nativity workshops. For the Christmas market, some vendors dress in traditional shepherd costume.
Sorrento, on the beautiful Amalfi peninsula in the Bay of Naples,holds a Christmas market through January 6 in the main square.
Rome's Piazza Navona hosts a big Christmas Market. Babbo Natale, Father Christmas, makes appearances for picture taking opportunities and there is a life-size nativity scene set up in the piazza later in the month.
Florence Noel starts at the end of November. Kids can visit the house of Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) and there's a Christmas market and lots of colorful lights.
Piazza Santa Croce in Florence has a popular German Christmas market with many booths.
Siena, in Tuscany, holds several Christmas markets during December.

Lucca, in northern Tuscany, holds a Christmas market in Piazza San Michele, usually through December 26. More Tuscany towns with markets include Arezzo, Montepulciano, and Pisa.

Peruiga, in Umbria, holds its Christmas market in the Rocca Paolina for three weeks in December.

Torino, in the Piemonte region, holds a Mercatino di Natale during December in the Borgo Dora area. Stalls selling a variety of merchandise are open all week and on the weekends there's music and entertainment for children. There's a big Christmas tree and nativity scene, too.

Genoa holds a Christmas and winter fair with an exhibition of arts and handicraft products and other items for sale.
Milan holds a market in the historic center from early December through January 6.
Bologna holds a Christmas market in the historic center from late November through early January.
Siracusa, Sicily, holds a two-week Christmas Fair starting the first or second weekend of December.
Cagliari, Sardinia, also holds a Christmas Fair for two weeks in December with traditional crafts, food, and wine

Christmas in Italy

Christmas season in Italy is traditionally celebrated December 24-January 6, or Christmas Eve through Epiphany. This follows the pagan season of celebrations that started with Saturnalia, a winter solstice festival, and ended with the Roman New Year, the Calends. However there are lots of Christmas things to see during December prior to Christmas, many starting on December 8, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception.
Italian Christmas Traditions
Although Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) and giving presents on Christmas are becoming more common, the main day for gift giving is Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men gave Baby Jesus their gifts. In Italy, presents are brought by La Befana, who arrives in the night to fill children's stockings. Christmas decorations and trees are becoming more popular in Italy. Lights and decorations are often seen starting around December 8, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, or even the end of November. The main focus of decorations continues to be the presepe, Nativity scene or creche. Almost every church has a presepe and they are often found outdoors in a piazza or public area, too. Traditionally, a meatless dinner is eaten on Christmas eve with the family, followed by a living nativity scene and midnight mass. In parts of southern Italy a seven fishes dinner is traditionally served on Christmas Eve. Traditional bonfires are often held on Christmas Eve in the main square of town, especially in mountain areas. Dinner on Christmas day is usually meat based.
Naples is one of the best cities to visit for Nativity cribs. Naples and southern Italy have other Christmas traditions, including the Christmas Eve dinner of the seven fish dishes, although it doesn't really have to be seven fishes and not everyone serves it. Bagpipe and flute players, zampognari and pifferai, are a part of Christmas celebrations in Rome, Naples, and southern Italy. They often wear traditional colorful costumes with sheepskin vests, long white stockings, and dark cloaks. Many of them travel from the mountains of the Abruzzo region to play outside churches and in popular city squares. Rome is another top city to visit during the Christmas season. There's a large Christmas market, nativity displays, and several huge Christmas trees.
Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City hosts the popular midnight mass given by the Pope inside Saint Peter's Basilica. Those in the square see it on big screen TV. At noon on Christmas day the Pope gives his Christmas message from the window of his apartment overlooking the square. A large tree and nativity scene are erected in the square before Christmas.
Torino is one of the best places for lights. Over 20 kilometers of streets and squares are illuminated by some of the best illumination artists in Europe from late November through early January.
Near the top of Monte Ingino, above Gubbio in central Italy's Umbria region, shines a huge Christmas tree, 650 meters tall and made up of more than 700 lights. In 1991 the Guinness Book of Records named it "The World's Tallest Christmas Tree." The tree is topped by a star that can be seen for nearly 50 kilometers. Tree lights are turned on every year on 7 December, the evening before the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Città di Castello (City of Castle), in Umbria, celebrates Christmas Eve in on the Tiber River. Towards evening, a group of canoeists, each dressed as Father Christmas, with their canoes illuminated by lights, make their way along the river to the bridge at Porta San Florido where a crib is suspended over the water. When they get out of their canoes, they give small presents to the children gathered there. Manarola in Cinque Terre has a unique ecological nativity powered by solar energy.
In Abbadia di San Salvatore, near Montalcino, the Fiaccole di Natale or Festival of Christmas Torches (Christmas Eve) is celebrated. Carols and torchlight processions in memory of the shepherds from the first Christmas Eve.
Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Alps celebrates with a skiers torchlight parade - At midnight on Christmas Eve hundreds of people ski down an Alpine peak carrying torches.

Some Christmas songs