3 Ways to Celebrate the Holidays with an Italian Flare

Italy is a great place to celebrate the holidays, but you can enjoy their traditions right within your own home. Italians cherish and celebrate the time with friends and family with good food and quality time spent together. If you’re looking to add a little Italian flare to your festivities, we’ve gathered a few of the best traditions for you to incorporate this year.

Bake Italian desserts

Italian food is one of the most cherished cuisines in the US. Around the holidays, Italians pull out all the stops with delicious and unique desserts. Cannolis are one of the sweeter and more popular dishes, containing ricotta cheese and being topped with orange peels or chopped pistachios. With the crisp shell and creamy interior, this dessert is sweet, rich, and flavorful.

 If you’re looking for a more toned down Italian treat, Panettone is a dish that can’t be missed during the holidays. Literally meaning small loaf of bread, this Italian Christmas cake boasts buttery bread containing notes of lemon and orange and is topped with candied fruit and raisins. Baking either of these traditional sweets is a great way to spend time with your family and enjoy a treat during your festivities.

Visit local farmers markets

Italians commonly visit Christmas markets during the holiday season, enjoying artisanal crafts and foods created by locals. There are plenty of vendors selling cheese and wine, and the cozy atmosphere creates a great place to enjoy company. To duplicate the experience in the US, visit local farmers markets in your area. Usually, they’ve moved indoors for the colder weather, establishing a similarly warm environment to interact with your community. This can also be a great place to shop for unique homemade holiday gifts, no matter what you’re celebrating.

Gift a cookbook

Italians love cooking and gifting. What better way to pay homage to their culture than to gift a cookbook of your favorite dishes to your loved ones? Gathering family recipes and compiling them into a keepsake book is a great way to spend your holiday season and create a meaningful gift for anyone you love. As you leaf through the pages, you might find recipes that you can enjoy baking or cooking together, creating lasting memories and spending quality time together.

Incorporating Italian traditions into your holidays

You don’t have to be Mediterranean or visit The Eternal City of Rome to enjoy the rich culture that Italy has to offer. By spending time with your family and friends, eating good food, and celebrating your favorite traditions from across the sea, you can have a unique celebration this year. If you’re looking to immerse yourself in a culinary dining experience inspired by Italy, theAlbert at Hotel EMC2 in Chicago is the perfect place. Creating and serving dishes unlike anything else, you can taste authentic Italian cuisine year round with the whole family. 

Interested in trying our Italian-inspired dishes? Book your reservation at the Albert here.