The holiday season is one of the best times for an Italian Family.
Christmas Eve holds a special place in my heart because of it's traditional value that it has in my family. Every Christmas Eve, you can find my whole family together at my Great Aunt's house and it's packed, loud and absolutely fabulous.
The true meaning of Christmas is being together with your family and enjoying the traditions that were celebrated every year prior.
While we do have an abundance of food and people, there are just some things that happen during an Italian Christmas that not every other family experiences.
1. Before you even get to your family's house, you go to Christmas Eve Mass with your whole family.
It's the one time that your family goes to Mass and you're going to go with your cousins and your nona. It's not Christmas Eve if you don't go to Mass.
2. When you walk through the door, you're prepared to block out 15 minutes for greeting and kissing everyone.
You have attended Mass and already saw your whole family. Now, you have to greet everyone again when you get back to the house. It's a process, so get ready to greet 20+ people and be hugged and kissed. Also, the same thing happens when you leave; it always takes half an hour to leave Christmas Eve dinner.
3. All you're going to do is smell fish because there's a ton of it being prepared.
If you love fish, you just hit the jackpot because there's a lot of it. You can count on there being shrimp, clams, calamari ... you name it, it's there. It's tradition and since we aren't allowed to have meat on Christmas Eve, we feast on fish.
4. There's going to be a ton of antipasto, then soup, then pasta, then the fish dinner and then dessert.
Prepare yourself and pack some Tums. You're going to get really full, really fast and want to never eat again, I promise.
5. Wear something loose and comfy because you will have a food baby once you're done.
Don't wear anything tight because you will regret it.
6. You're going to be sitting at the kids table forever, so don't try to move up to the adult table.
The oldest cousins are going to move up first, so I'm currently fifth-in-line waiting for a seat at the adult table. I'll probably end up sitting with my own children at the kids table before I sit with the adults.
7. Be prepared to argue with your cousins over who's saying Christmas Eve grace. The pressure is on and it's like the Hunger Games.
It's such a nerve-wracking process. You're willing to give up your first born in order not to have to say grace, but then one of your cousins steps up and volunteers and you are forever grateful.
8. You're going to be full, so pop them Tums.
Take a bathroom break and prepare yourself for the next wave.
9. Espresso and an overabundance of cookies will be served.
Pignolis, pizelles, struffoli ... you name it, it's there.
10. After dessert, you can always count on a game to be played with all of your cousins.
You can play a round of my favorite card game, pinochle. It's going to get heated and we are all going to be yelling, for sure.
