| Celebrating a Tasteful Christmas
in Tuscany We wish you a very
merry Christmas and a bright and happy New
Year. I for one particularly love the Christmas
season here with the smell of the cypress
trees, the sparkling lights scattered throughout
Florence and the absolutely scrumptious
festive food. The colors of Christmas glitter
everywhere and the Nativity scenes enchant
young and old and we all 'rug up' with layers
of coats to buy gifts for friends and family
and often indulge in roasted chestnuts and
the thickest hot chocolate I have ever had!
Amongst the many magical seasons in Tuscany,
the Christmas season fills the air with
its religious yet cheerful spirit. I wanted
to share this exhilarating season with you
and my great Christmas experiences filled
with precious moments.
Undoubtedly Christmas, followed closely
by Easter, is the most cherished celebration
of the year and a time for loved ones to
gather together. All of this Italian 'gathering'
also undoubtedly leads to lots of 'eating'
together, which is a tradition and something
so ingrained into this wonderful culture.
You just have to accept it... marathons
of up to 6 courses are common and households
prepare for the entire week prior to the
big Christmas feast.
Reflecting the magic of tradition-
A Christmas Market
Christmas in Tuscany is like a carousel
that never stops. It’s like stepping
into Heidelberger Weihnachtsmarkt which
is one of Germany’s most entertaining
Christmas markets. Florence has many connections
with Heidelberg, one of them being of course,
through the Medici family. Maria Luisa of
the Medicis was married to the Elector Palatine,
the Prince of Heidelberg, Germany. She also
left the legacy of the Medici fortune to
Florence. From November 30th to December
18th, Florence experiences the many cultures
and traditions from Germany in this lovely
Christmas market at Piazza Santa Croce.
Every time, every year, I feel so elated
to see the Christmas lights blinking on
and off with every place decorated with
an array of fantastic and colorful baubles.
So I just follow my Christmas instincts
and run down to the Christmas market which
never fails to amaze me with its ‘everything
you need to enjoy Christmas’ attitude.
It’s simply lovely to see the reproduction
of the German Christmas market at Piazza
Santa Croce with forty small wooden huts
instead of the usual stalls. There are merry-go-rounds,
a Bonbon Karussel which is an early 20th
century revolving bar that is so unique
and rare. This beautiful old square of Santa
Croce brims over with the Christmas spirit
with Italian and German festive sweets,
traditional Bunzlau ceramics, spiced wines,
beers, bratwurst and strudel. There’s
a whole bunch of cultural events and performances
for children. It’s so natural and
magical that you find yourself sipping a
glass of 'vin brule', listening
to the storytellers and trying to learn
the carols!
It really is an awesome experience as you
stand and see the milling crowds which feel
as if this is their first Christmas ever!
Turning around, I see a spectrum of lovely
Christmas decorations which range from traditional
pieces made from glass and wood to toys,
Santas, stars and candy striped sticks and
of course, the lovely shimmering Christmas
trees. You won’t ever feel that you’d
like to be a kid again, when you come to
Tuscany… Christmas in Tuscany has
always been filled with that special golden
celebration that never ceases to amaze and
enthrall!
The Befana! - a witchy story
There’s another bewitching factor
about the Yuletide season. It all started
off with the pagan rites and rituals which
evolved over the years. One of the most
enchanting myths that surround Christmas
is the legend about Befana that has been
circulating the Mediterranean since ancient
days. It’s such a magical tale, that
I never tire of hearing about it or repeating
it to the children. In Tuscany the story
of Befana, has aroused the spirit of curiosity,
mystery and magic amongst children for ages.
Befana is regarded as the mythical figure
which plays an important part in the bonding
of families as the giver and receiver of
good will, gifts and as a symbol of a fairy
godmother who bestows blessings and rewards
on good people and children. Every child
in Tuscany is aware of Befana’s magical
presence and waits anxiously for her as
she comes down a chimney or flies in on
her broomstick or rides on a donkey. This
little old lovable lady has fascinated children
over the ages as the congenial grandmother
and from the ancient days as the giver of
prosperity. On January 6th, the children
anxiously await to see if they will receive
'caramelle o carbone' which
translates to candy or coal. Candy if they
have been good or coal if they have been
naughty. Nowadays you can also buy candy
that looks like coal! Whichever way the
sugar consumption from Christmas manages
to continue until Befana comes!
The Typical Christmas Fare –
a Tuscan Feast
The spirit of Christmas inspires the spirit
of shopping and everyone is loaded with
bulging bags of gifts and goodies for their
loved ones. All of this activity then inspires
one of the most important Italian pastimes...
eating!!
It is always a delight to admire the traditional
foods and ingredients that are displayed
in such a special way to share in the celebration
of food at Christmas time. All throughout
Tuscany the merchants in the little villages
will use wheelbarrows or old wooden carts
to offer their clients their products which
would normally be inside on the counter
or in the display cabinets. Now the cheeses
and salamis, fresh porchetta, homemade marmalades
and honeys or conserves, truffle infused
butter and the newly pressed extra virgin
olive oils sit proudly on checked tablecloths
or Christmas paper, under the flashing Christmas
lights to be seen creating their own enticing
display.
The table in our home will not be neglected
this year as we are planning a sumptuous
Christmas lunch which will consist of appetizers,
pasta, meats, vegetables, cheese, fruits
and desserts cheered by the fabulous wines
found in Tuscany in abundance. The time
of Christmas always heralds the hunting
season, so you can see traditional dishes
of fresh game: wild boar, stuffed pheasant
or fried rabbit. 'Tartufi' (truffles) are
also a common, if somewhat decadent addition
to the menu. Minestra (a soup) carefully
prepared with broth made from the 'cappone'
(a type of chicken) with tortellini pasta.
For the main course meat is common, either
in the form of game, roast pork or lamb.
Many also enjoy wonderful seafood and this
of course is more common the closer you
get to the coastline. Let’s not forget
the magical desserts, for each area within
Tuscany has its own Christmas sweets. There’s
'panforte', 'panpepato',
'ricciarelli' and 'cavallucci'
from Siena, 'pinolata'
from Maremma and the Italian sweet tooth
welcomes the 'panettone',
'pandoro' and 'torrone'.
The list is endless with 'brigidini'
from Pisa and 'cantuccini and vinsanto'
from Prato. Well, like I said that this
is the time that everyone gathers together,
our Christmas meal is complete with family,
relations, friends and guests making the
phrase, ‘the more the merrier’
ring along with the echo of Christmas bells.
With Christmas being a traditional festival
being handed down through the ages, I felt
that I must mention the Yule, which is the
Norse name for the winter solstice festival.
We have incorporated these pagan rituals
into our lifestyle today with Yule logs,
gifts, Christmas meal and sweets, ivy, holly,
pine boughs, decorated trees, carols and
a special feast with suckling pig. So come
with us to the 'Good
Tastes of Tuscany' and experience
the spirit of Christmas with our expert
chefs cooking our traditional Tuscan Christmas
feast! You will have a hands-on experience
that cheers the taste buds on a festive
culinary expedition and you can taste this
special season’s dish brought by Befana,
the recipe of which I found in my Christmas
stocking!
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Accommodation |
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Villa Lunetta is located on a
magnificent estate comprising
a private forest, vineyards and
olive groves. The spacious property
measuring 180m2 accommodates 5
people. |
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Leonora is a Sunny, very peaceful
and private house located on an
estate that has a private forest,
vineyards and olive groves. |
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Valentina Cottage accommodates
2-4 people. This is an intimate
and peaceful cottage that has
been fully restored to its original
charm. |
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