Celebrations in Italy

1
Celebrations in Italy

• Novena
• Christmas
• Epiphany

2
Novena

• Novena starts in Italy eight days before
  Christmas.
• During this time, the children go door to door
  reciting Christmas poems and singing.

3

• Often they are dressed as shepherds and play
  bagpipes.

• During these visits, they are
• given money to buy presents.

4
Christmas

• On Christmas Eve, families in Italy gather around
  their Presepio, or shrine to the Holy Bambino
  (Child).

• During this time, they pray and sing carols.
• They also light many candles.

5

• Then the families observe a 24-hour fast (eat no
  food).
• At the end of the fasting time, they eat a big
  feast of spaghetti and lasagna.

6

• They also play a game in which each person takes
  a wrapped gift box from the Urn of Fate. Inside
  they find either a present or just an empty box.

7

• At noon on Christmas Day, the Pope gives a sermon
  and blesses all of the families of Italy from the
  Vatican City.

8
Epiphany

• Children do not receive gifts in Italy on
  Christmas.
• Instead, they observe the Epiphany on January
  6th.
• A kindly old witch, named La Befana brings the
  gifts.

9

• The legend says that when the Christ Child was
  born, the shepherds told La Befana.
• However, she did not go to find the baby right
  away.

10

• So now, every Christmas, she goes from home to
  home delivering presents, hoping to find the
  Christ Child inside.
• She is said to be very old and ugly however, the
  children still love her.