The traditions of Christmas in Milan, the feast of the Patron Saint Sant'Ambrogio, the lighting of the lights of the Christmas trees and the traditional dish of Lombardy: the cassoeula, all in the post.
Le Milan Christmas traditions they all start on December 7th. Throughout Italy, Christmas is an important time to stay at home and with the family, to experience the traditional Christmas celebrations together. In Milan there are several traditions that start from the city and reach the gastronomy, let's discover them together.
It is a tradition, still very much felt, to set up and decorate the Christmas tree and all the decorations in the house on the day of the patron saint of the city, Sant'Ambrogio, precisely on December 7 of each year. The city dresses up and so do the houses of the Milanese.
The city of course and all the beautiful Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, have already been festively decorated for a few weeks, for the use and consumption of tourists in the fashion district, but the prestigious and imposing Christmas tree of Piazza Duomo it is lit on the evening of 7 December, almost coinciding with the beginning of the first of the Scala in the adjacent square.
Every year, to open the dances of the Milanese salon par excellence, there is a work, if you are curious I invite you to discover it through the website or social networks of the Municipality of Milan. You can find the most beautiful Christmas markets in Piazza del Duomo and in the new and very modern Piazza Gae Aulenti, in the increasingly glamorous area of Porta Garibaldi.
Perhaps the Christmas village set up around the new Darsena sui Navigli for the second year is not part of the Milanese Christmas traditions, but I am sure it will become one, with the skating ring and navigation by boat with Santa Claus.
What certainly distinguishes Christmas in the various cities of Italy is and certainly remains food.
If the decorations, trees and cribs, run almost similar from north to south, is on the table that everyone tries to give their best, especially at Christmas or during the Christmas holidays, even the table is decorated for the party.
December in Milan is the month of preparation for his typical winter dish par excellence, the cassoeula, a sauce of various parts of pork and cabbage, a Milanese vegetable doc. Let's not forget everything that revolves around panettone and pandoro, one of the dishes (or rather desserts) in Lombardy but also in Italy best known and loved.
But the lunch of the Christmas lunch is quite varied, there are those who prepare the stuffed pasta homemade dry or in broth, the main dish gourmet panettone, a panettone neither sweet nor salty stuffed in various layers of sauces, to taste. Can't miss the Panettone of Milan, a dessert born right here and of which the Milanese are very proud.
And if you want to treat yourself to an unforgettable experience at Christmas, don't forget to book one of the tours on Terraces of the Milan Cathedral. A priceless view from the Duomo and Piazza del Duomo. To know some more information on the ascent to the Duomo of Milan, do not miss the related post.
