How do you celebrate Christmas in Sardinia?

This year, as every year, a “green” Christmas will be celebrated in most of Sardinia. The rains of the last month have greened the landscape, parched by the summer heat, and transformed the beautiful holiday island, known above all for its magnificent beaches, into a sea of green lush meadows. All over the island, the lemons, tangerines and oranges are now also ripe, and so you can eat a lot of healthy and tasty vitamins for the feast .

Christmas in Sardinia: Elaborate nativity scenes and delicious food are part of it!

The preparations for Christmas in Sardinia do not begin before the 1st of Advent, but on December 8th, when the immaculata conceptio, the “Immaculate Conception of Mary”, is celebrated in the churches.

On this day, many families set up the nativity scene, which is sometimes very elaborate: it is embedded in a panoramic landscape and often surrounded by a village with many figures, houses and stables, fountains and ponds, where even water flows. Each family adds one or more additional figures or details to their nativity scene each year. The traditional nativity scenes can also be admired as small works of art in the churches of the island.

Christmas trees are less common on the island and in addition to the widespread plastic fir, palm trees and olive trees are also decorated with beautiful colourful fairy lights on Sardinia.

Also the traditional Christmas markets are not to be found here, but there are often numerous stalls distributed in the cities, which sell small gifts and all kinds of other things. The main shopping streets and pedestrian zones often offer customers “shopping under the stars” before the big feast, where the stores are often open until midnight and music and other attractions invite you to stroll (and of course buy).

Biscotti per natale

Gifts are not given until December 25

Christmas in Sardinia begins on the evening of December 24 with the traditional night feast, the cenone, an elaborate meal with many dishes that takes place among family or friends. The adults exchange small gifts on this occasion, and some then attend the midnight mass in which the arrival of the baby Jesus, Gesu Bambino, is celebrated.

Only on the morning of December 25, the children open the gifts that the Christ Child or the dear Santa Claus (Babbo Natale) brought during the night. Around noon they meet again with family and friends to eat together.

It is not uncommon for the ski season to begin in Sardinia in the mountains of the Gennargentu National Park, where the only ski lift in Sardinia can be found. So if you don’t want to miss a white Christmas in Sardinia, head for the mountains (don’t forget the snow chains for the car!).

The traditional Christmas menu in Sardinia

As everywhere, also in Sardinia a lot of emphasis is placed on this evening feast that turns out very lush and consists of appetizers, entrees, main course, cheese, fruit and dessert. The feast is entirely dedicated to the family, and time is taken! Walks, hikes and, of course, church visits are an integral part of the Sardinian Christmas.

And what does one eat traditionally on Sardinia to Christmas? On the 1st day of Christmas especially lamb, which is prepared in different delicious ways depending on the region. A particularly popular and widespread variant is the “Agnello allo spiedo”, a lamb grilled on a spit. It is served with fresh salads and vegetables.

At the end of the feast, the famous Italian panettone, a fluffy cake with candied fruits and raisins, is served with a glass of spumante (sparkling wine). And there are also other typical Sardinian dolci or better: sweets on the festive table, such as the gueffas or sospirus made with almonds, sugar and lemon peel, which sweeten the feast.