What Christmas in Calabria Looks Like

The first thing you should know is that Christmas is my favorite holiday. Of the 11 boxes I shipped from the U.S., one was filled with ornaments. As an expat, decorating our house makes me feel more at home and connects me with the traditions of my own American family.

Still, Christmas in Calabria is not quite like what I knew back in the States.

Calabrians Don't Go Overboard with Decorations

I'm not a madwoman; I wait until (just after) Thanksgiving to decorate the house rather than putting up the tree right after Halloween! But in Italy, people wait until after L'Immacolata (December 8) to decorate, and even then, their efforts aren't 1/10th of what Americans do.

Christmas trees are starting to show up, though not many of my friends or family have one. They marvel at my big pink tree, laughing at this pazza americana.

I don't mind.

I see a few strands of Christmas lights around Davoli, and there's a cute light tree in the piazza. The comune always puts up holiday lights on the main streets, which adds a cozy glow when we're walking home at night.

There are a Few Treasured Sweets to Make (and Eat)

I'm sure I haven't been introduced to the gamut of holiday treats, but I have made a few, including pignolata. First, we spend hours making dough and cutting it into tiny balls. Mamma always tells me mine are too big, but I can't seem to make them the right size. Then they're fried and coated in honey. Kinda like a Rice Krispies treat.

We also make torrone, bars made of sesame seeds, mulled wine, orange peels, and honey. They can also be made of almonds.

This year, I added a new treat to my experience: baci. They're dark chocolate-covered hazelnut candies that are absolutely addicting. I've pretty much eaten all of them, and Christmas hasn't arrived yet!

They're Not Obsessed with Gifts

This is a pretty big difference from America, where I'd rush around trying to find lots of amazing gifts sure to wow the recipient. Here, honestly, if I didn't give everyone gifts, I don't know that they'd do it themselves.

The focus here is simply on more important things. Being together. Eating well. Relaxing. None of this rushing from one store to another. None of that going into debt to make others happy. It's lovely.

Festive Events Make the Season Bright

Christmas isn't really even the headliner this time of year. One of Davoli's patron saints is Santa Lucia, and there's a mass and procession for her on the 13th. Then on January 6, there's another holiday, the Epiphany, which I'll write about in another post.

Still, there's lots to enjoy. The Davoli band plays holiday songs through the narrow streets a week or so before Christmas. There's a holiday market the week before Christmas where, for the first time ever, I will be selling my herb-based skincare products!

Nearby villages have live nativity scenes. Davoli has a tour of nativity sets (no real humans; just figurines). The one above is my favorite; it's my friend, Vittorio's, and I love it because it has elves and wizards! Not typical!

There's music and dancing and general merrymaking all throughout Calabria this time of year.

Christmas is All About Family

On Christmas Eve, we'll gather at Fra's aunt and uncle's house for a huge meal. I'm thrilled that Max will be with us this year! We'll eat until we pop, and then we'll go downstairs to the presepe (nativity scene) where Ermete, our resident little one, will sing a song about baby Jesus. Everyone kisses the statue.

After that, we head to midnight mass. I'm not Catholic, but I do enjoy going on Christmas Eve for La Vigilia. The priest, Don Nicola, is young and always has something fun planned. A couple of years ago, he handed out glow-in-the-dark baby Jesuses!

After mass, we'll head to the bar for prosecco to toast Christmas.

On Christmas Day, Fra, Max, and I will exchange gifts and stockings. We'll eat lunch at his parents' house and exchange gifts with them. The rest of the afternoon, we'll sit around the fire and tell jokes and stories.

It's moments like these, simple and pure, that make me glad I've left behind the consumer-driven frenzy of America.