Sardinia, Christmas and new Year (December holidays).
Christmas in Sardinia, All of these things belong to the traditions and history of Sardinia today. This is an island one must see. And love.
In Sardinia the Sardinians fast from December 23rd at sunset to the December 24th at sunset. They then have a great Yule log which is kindled. After prayers and songs are done around the Presepio or crib the feast begins.
The foods that might be served are eels and larks, boiled pasta, fish, sweet bread and Torrone a type of nougat.
The children are visited by La Befana on January 6. She was said to have been so busy cleaning her house that she missed out on going with the three wise men to Bethlehem. She was also considered to be a witch. Children hang up their stockings so that she will fill them with toys and gifts.
At Christmas time, Sardinia is awash in the earthy aromas of nature and the scent of orange blossoms. As if out of a painting, the landscape radiates the intense green of orange-tree branches, which, by December, are laden with white, star-shaped blossoms.
Even in winter, Sardinia is a sea of color--the red fruit of the arbatus, the dark blue berries of the myrtle, and the white buds of the erica bushes. These are colors that will come to belong to the spring festivals held in the villages-- times when men, women, and children dress in orange-colored costumes and carry branches and fragrent blossoms. These folk festivals resonate with the sounds of the Mediterranean-- the launeddas is played; decorated ox-drawn carriages are led through the applauding crowds; and orange-filled baskets, artfully formed pastries and breads right out of wood burning ovens, and red and white wine are sold in abundance.