p>Christmas in Rome isn’t just lights and panettone. It’s a lively tug-of-war between sacred and secular: Midnight Mass and never-ending tombola (the Italian bingo), the Pope’s Urbi et Orbi blessing and a steaming bowl of stracciatella soup. The celebration has ancient roots and a table worth the trip. Here’s a guide to Rome’s Christmas history, traditions, and classic dishes—plus a few stories to share at the table.
If you want to experience it for real, you can celebrate with the Roman Christmas menu at Velavevodetto in our restaurants in Rome and Milan.
From Saturn to the Nativity scene: how Christmas took shape in Rome
Long before it became the holiday we know, December 25 already mattered in Rome. A 4th-century Roman calendar is the first to fix the Nativity on this date—no coincidence, given its overlap with the Saturnalia and the Dies natalis Solis Invicti, the winter solstice feast of the Unconquered Sun. Those ancient festivals were all about banquets, gift-giving, and a temporary flip of social rules.
In short: before it was Christmas, Rome was already eating, drinking, and exchanging gifts. The secular side is in the city’s DNA.
From those rites comes one of Rome’s historic holiday sweets: pangiallo, a round, golden honey loaf studded with dried fruit and candied peel—an edible wish for the sun’s return.
Today the stage looks different, but the thread is the same:
- The Nativity scene and the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square turn the piazza into a grand set for tradition.
- At noon on December 25, the Pope delivers the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing from the Basilica, followed worldwide.
Christmas in Rome is born here: a city where sacred ritual and civic spectacle live comfortably side by side.
Christmas Eve in Rome: “magro”—meatless, but hardly light
By custom, Christmas Eve is di magro—no meat—but that doesn’t mean a modest dinner. Quite the opposite.
The Roman table on the 24th often features:
- Spaghetti with tuna or with clams;
- Pasta with broccoli or a fish soup;
- Roasted or baked seafood, and plentiful fried calamari and baby octopus, with potatoes and salad on the side.
“Meatless” in name, generous in practice.
The night itself can be very religious—Mass in one of Rome’s many basilicas, or in St. Peter’s for those who want the heart of Catholic liturgy—or very secular:
- some attend Christmas Mass, then return home for a final round of desserts;
- others settle into tombola, panettone, bubbly—and the classic family debate about who’s cheating (an unofficial, yet widespread, tradition).
Christmas Day lunch: broth, lamb, and unapologetically indulgent sweets
The first course: stracciatella or cappelletti?
Lunch often opens with a soup that tastes like home: Roman stracciatella. It’s simple and brilliant—hot beef broth with a thin stream of beaten eggs, grated cheese, and nutmeg stirred in so they form delicate “rags” (straccetti). Instant comfort food. (And yes, this is soup—different from the gelato flavor or the fresh cheese by the same name.)
As an alternative—or a worthy rival—many Romans serve cappelletti in brodo, little stuffed pasta in clear broth that officially kicks off the long Christmas lunch.
The mains: abbacchio, roast birds, and family traditions
We usually link lamb to Easter, and that’s fair—but not the whole story. In Lazio, with its strong farming and pastoral culture, abbacchio (milk-fed lamb) often appears at Christmas too. On a Roman table you might find:
- Abbacchio al forno with potatoes—tender inside, well browned outside;
- Abbacchio alla scottadito—grilled cutlets so hot you “burn your fingers” (that’s the name);
- or big family roasts: capon, stuffed chicken, and assorted roasts.
Sides are proudly Roman:
- Puntarelle (chicory shoots) with anchovy-garlic dressing;
- Broccoletti ripassati—sautéed greens with garlic, olive oil, and chili;
- salads that pretend to “lighten things up.”
The sweets: pangiallo, panpepato, and the panettone invasion
Here Rome shows its double soul. On one side, tradition:
- Pangiallo, the golden honey loaf with dried fruit, raisins, and candied peel—solar, symbolic, and festive;
- Panpepato, a rich, spiced fruit-and-nut cake with honey and chocolate, typical across central Italy.
On the other, modern habits: industrial and artisanal panettone and pandoro, torrone, tiramisù, and spoon desserts. The ending is always the same: someone says “I can’t eat another bite”… five minutes before “just a tiny slice.”
Sacred Rome at Christmas: nativity scenes, Mass, and a city at the center of the Catholic world
- Christmas Night Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by the Pope (often held in the evening today, but linked to the tradition of Midnight Mass);
- The Pope’s Christmas message and Urbi et Orbi blessing at noon on December 25, broadcast worldwide;
- The monumental nativity scene and tree in St. Peter’s Square, with new themes and symbols each year.
Across the city you’ll also find:
- exhibitions of nativity scenes from all over Italy and the world;
- parish displays with choirs, costumed participants, children—and the unmistakable aroma of mulled wine and home-baked cakes outside.
It’s the solemn side—Roman-style: depth, without taking itself too seriously.
Secular Rome at Christmas: markets, lights, and celebrations that aren’t exactly minimalist
- Piazza Navona’s Christmas market, with carousels, stalls, sweets, toys, and a festive atmosphere that runs into Epiphany;
- Christmas events in parks and historic villas, with light installations, shows, and immersive experiences;
- Holiday lights across the historic center—Via del Corso, Via Condotti, and famous squares—where Romans and visitors stroll past shop windows with roasted chestnuts, mulled wine, and selfies under the decorations.
Here Christmas means:
- long walks;
- last-minute shopping;
- cheerful “holiday aperitivi”;
- dinners with colleagues, friends, and extended crews.
And yes, Roman food is always close by. After presepi, markets, and lights, someone will inevitably say: “How about a cacio e pepe?”
5 things you might not know about Christmas in Rome
- Christmas “borrows” its date from the Saturnalia. The choice of December 25 intersects with ancient solstice festivals: banquets, gifts, and symbols of light predate decorated trees.
- Stracciatella is a brilliant leftover dish. It repurposes rich holiday broth with eggs and cheese to create something new—now a signature first course in Rome.
- Pangiallo is edible sunshine. Round and golden, it celebrates the return of light after the solstice—once pagan, now a classic Christmas sweet.
- Abbacchio isn’t only for Easter. In Lazio, milk-fed lamb appears at Christmas too, thanks to the region’s pastoral traditions.
- Roman Christmas is always “double.” In a single day you can move from the candlelit hush of a basilica to the joyful chaos of Piazza Navona, from sacred hymns to shouted numbers over a tombola board—with no contradiction at all.
In short
Christmas in Rome is a perfect crossroads of ancient history, living ritual, and the city’s happy instinct to gather around the table. Whether you spend it in church, at home, in a trattoria, or out among nativity scenes and markets, one thing is certain: in Rome, Christmas isn’t just a date on the calendar—it’s a whole choreography of gestures, aromas, and dishes that repeats (and reinvents itself) year after year.
If you want to turn all of this into a meal to remember, explore Velavevodetto’s Roman Christmas menu and celebrate with us in Rome and Milan. Tip: if you’re planning a special visit, book ahead—we’ll keep a table (and the food) warm for you.
