Christmas in Puglia: old traditions and new friends
Christmas in Puglia is very heartfelt and is not reduced to a single day of celebration but represents more of a time of living through traditions and celebrations with loved ones.
Yes, we do celebrate all month. And beyond
The period of Christmas celebrations begins on December 8, the day of the Immaculate Conception, the day when all cities begin to put up Christmas lights - which, in some towns, have been perfected into stunning pieces of luminous art - and nativity scenes pop up pretty much everywhere —in every shop window, in every home and in at least one public square per town.
Christmas trees have only been a part of Christmas celebrations in Puglia for the last half century or so. Being a middle-European tradition, the tree was popularized with the rise of mass media. This, however, remains a region of nativity scene artisans. The province of Lecce in particular has a wonderful tradition of craftsmanship that's still very prevalent—an art form called cartapesta, or papier-mâché. With this medium, artisans can create beautiful statues—some of true artistry—of all sizes and for all purposes. Some are sold to decorate homes for Christmas; others are displayed in churches or homes, and they portray mostly - but not exclusively - religious subjects.
They get plenty of chances to shine, one such is the "Puppet Fair" (Fiera dei Pupi), which is one of the longest-running traditions in Salento, dating back to almost seven centuries. Even way back then, this tradition was a way for artisans to show off their skills and win new clients. It brings together locals as well as tourists, children and adults alike, with something for everyone: handmade holiday gifts, fresh pastries, traditional music, and even puppet shows.
Today's event features a wide variety of handmade puppets: handcarved wooden puppets that are used during performances by local groups; puppets sculpted out of clay; and papier-mâché puppets that come in a variety of whimsical shapes.
Come for the food, stay for the warmth
Of course, Christmas in Puglia is also linked to culinary traditions: if the food here is fantastic all year round, at Christmas it is even heavenly. The traditional Christmas dinner in Italy is called "cenone" and it usually happens on the evening of Christmas Eve. It is full of typical dishes that you can taste only at this time of the year. Usually, a typical Apulian Christmas dinner is based on fish, such as cod, capitone (a kind of eel), mussels and clams. Of course, the most representative dish of this region is orecchiette pasta with turnip greens (cime di rapa). The reason why the eve dinner is fish-based is because, in Christian tradition, one should eat "lean" on the day before Christmas, that is, avoid meat. But don't let that fool you: an Apulian dinner is definitely not a light meal!
In Puglia—as in many regions of Italy—the main meal on Christmas Day is lunch, which usually features plenty of meat-based dishes. Both meals are accompanied by the typical, delicious Apulian Christmas desserts and treats. And both of these days are traditionally spent exclusively with family.
Spending Christmas in Puglia without your family? Come join our brand-new Christmas with Friends tradition!
And could you imagine Christmas without the traditional family get-together, the food and conversation around the table? I know, it's hard to imagine. But in recent years, more and more people are moving to Puglia from other regions or even other countries, so there are those who - like us - do not have a big family to spend Christmas with. That's why we thought of creating a new tradition: spending Christmas with friends! We believe that love is what creates true family. When people get together and share food and drink, they feel like a part of one another's lives.
This will be the first year celebrating this new tradition at The Aia! If you would like to be a part of it, please join us. You can find out more about it here.
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