The first hymns in honor of Christmas and the nativity are believed to have been written in the fifth century. These Latin hymns were solemn, and dealt only with the religious aspects of Christmas.

In the 13th century, Saint Francis of Assisi introduced the idea of joyous and spirited Christmas carols similar to what we know today. St. Francis wrote the Christmas hymn “Psalmus in Nativitate” in Latin. From Italy, Christmas carols spread all over Europe including Germany where many hyms were written.

What makes this little book (32 pages) so great is that it is in both English and Italian. Though it is basically a children’s book it is also fun for adults. I enjoyed it immensely.

Buon Natale has Christmas songs in both Italian and English. The narration is also in Italian and English making it a great way to study the language. Granted we don’t say jingle bells very often on our travels, but it does make studying fun.

Christmas in Italy! The Christmas markets. The traditional foods. The Legend of LaBefana. The Italian Mangers. It is all described in this wonderful 80 page book from World Book.

As with all things Italian, Christmas in Italy starts at the beginning meaning 2,000 years ago and takes you through present-day celebrations held throughout the country. The book is very readable and is full of pictures.

Although the book is written for young people and adults with well developed reading skills, the stories and descriptions could easily be read aloud to children.

Babbo Natale, or Father Christmas is gaining popularity in Italy. Babbo Natale, Italy's version of Santa Claus, is becoming more popular and gift giving on Christmas day is becoming more common. La Befana, the old woman who delivers gifts on Epiphany, January 6 is still the more popular Christmas figure.

Babbo Natale is a skinnier and more regal looking version of Santa Claus. They both wear red cloaks with white trim, but Santa Claus has most decidedly enjoyed more second helpings at the dinner table than Babbo Natale.

Historically, Christmas has been more reserved in Italy than in other European countries and certainly more reserved than the raucous month long Christmas season enjoyed in the US. Many Italians now hang Christmas stockings for Babbo Natale to fill.

In Italy, Carnevale is the last celebration before lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent has historically been the time before Easter when many Catholics deprive themselves of something they enjoy. The thought is to party until you drop and spend the period of Lent recovering.

Celebrations are held all over Italy from Venice and Milan down to the villages and towns of Sicily. The celebration of Carnevale is the Italian version of Mardi Gras in New Orleans with oranges instead of beads.

This year the celebration lasts from February 12 to March 5 with many of the biggest celebrations on Martedi Grasso or Fat Tuesday.

The Italian equivalent of Santa Claus is Babo Natale, however, the true giver of gifts in Italy is La Befana. La Befana is an old crone who delivers gifts to deserving girls and boys on Epiphany.

The Befana is a Christmas witch that comes 12 days after Christmas on January 6. January 6 is Epiphany and is a celebration of the visit by the three wise men to the baby Jesus. La Befana is derived from Epifania, the Italian for Epiphany.

In the distant past the people of Italy thought La Befana was evil. They rang clay bells and made noise to keep her away. Now she is viewed as a gentle spirit that will give gifts to the children of Italy.

According to the Italian legend, La Befana lived on the road the three wise men took on their journey to visit the baby Jesus. The three wise men on camels loaded down with gifts, approached La Befana’s house as she was busy working. They stopped to ask directions to Bethlehem and to ask if she could provide them with food and shelter for the night to see if she might join them on their journey. La Befana was too busy to talk to the wise men. Later she changed her mind and decided she should have gone with the wise men.

Nativity scenes are very popular in Italy and are generally found in every household. The nativity originated in Italy in the 1200's when St. Francis of Assisi asked Giovanni Vellita from the village of Greccio to create a manger scene. St. Francis then performed Christmas mass in front of this nativity scene.

The nativity scene that most Americans think of consists of about ten characters Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, the three wise men, a shepherd and a few animals. In Italy the nativity is called a presepio (manger scene). The presepio contains large numbers of biblical characters, angels, animals and people from every day life.

During the 17th and 18th century Naples turned the nativity into an art form. The presepi included the nativity scene but also represented life in Naples at the time. Today many artisans are still dedicated to the craft of creating hand made figures for presepi.

Christmas in Italy is filled with music, celebrations, food and an appreciation of the religious significance of the holiday. The Italian Christmas is not as commercial as Christmas in the US. Americans are often disappointed with the understated and traditional celebrations in Italy.

The Italian Christmas season generally lasts three weeks beginning with the Novena, the eight days before Christmas. This is a period of celebration when music fills the air. Young musicians go around playing their musical instruments, singing Christmas Carols and reciting Christmas poems. Preparations for the Christmas holiday are begun in earnest by families during the Novena.

One of the more unusual sounds of Christmas in Italy is the sound of bagpipes. The zampognari (shepherds who play the bagpipes) come from their homes to perform in the market squares in Calabria, Abruzzo and Rome.

On national holidays in Italy, information offices, museums, monuments, etc. are either closed or open for limited hours. Public transportation such as buses and trains may be operating on a reduced holiday schedule.

May 1 (Italian Labor Day) and Christmas Day (December 25) are all major national holidays in Italy. Museums, monuments and many restaurants will be closed. Take these holidays into consideration when you plan your vacation.

In addition to national holidays in Italy, each town has a feast day in celebration of their patron saint. These holidays vary from city to city and town to town.