Ilaria’s Tradition: Our Italian Christmas Kitchen

A Christmas Spent in the Heart of the Kitchen

For Ilaria’s family, Christmas begins long before the 24th. In her region of Italy, the holidays stretch across three festive days - the 24th, 25th and 26th - each with its own rituals and flavours. But the moment she cherishes most happens a few days earlier, when uncles, grandparents, cousins of all ages gather in the kitchen to make tortellini from scratch.

Eggs, flour and water become pasta dough; the filling is mixed with just the right balance of meat and cheese; and the broth simmers with vegetables from the local farmer. Her dad - the maestro of the kitchen - guides everyone with practiced ease. Each tortellino turns out slightly different, unmistakably shaped by the hands that made it, tiny edible signatures of the people she loves.

A Table Filled with Tradition

Beyond the cooking, setting the table has its own Christmas ritual: the red tovaglia, treasured plates passed down through generations, and the soundtrack of Mariah Carey or Michael Bublé making their expected seasonal return. Homemade appetisers appear (and disappear, thanks to little hands and mischievous adults), candles glow, and there is always room for one more person dropping by at the last minute.

For Ilaria, these moments - sharing food, laughing together, reconnecting in the warmth and gentle chaos of family - are what truly define Christmas. The gifts matter far less than the tortellini she folds with her own hands and the people gathered around the table.