10 Things to do in Catania at Christmas

In Catania, Christmas begins in early December. This is the time when the whole city is illuminated and decorated for this special time of year. In addition, the typical Christmas markets are set up and the atmosphere is filled with joy. However, enjoying all this is only a small part of what you can do.

See nativity scenes that are works of art, listen to the sound of bagpipes, taste sweets that will make you sigh with pleasure or even slide down the slopes of a snow-capped volcano are some of the best things to do in Catania at Christmas. And there are even more surprises in store for you, which I'll explain below.

One of the essential plans to enjoy the city of Catania at Christmas is to walk around the city centre after dark. Coinciding with the celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December, it is dressed in its best clothes and remains so until Epiphany on 6 January.

I recommend a leisurely stroll along Via Etnea, Catania's most stately street and its main thoroughfare. Here you will enjoy the Christmas lights and atmosphere like nowhere else and, while you're at it, you'll be able to browse in the shops. If you have a gift to buy, you'll be in the perfect place.

You can't miss another major Christmas attraction in the city either: the enormous tree that adorns Piazza del Duomo. During the festive season, the square also hosts different cultural events and concerts. Not forgetting that Catania Cathedral is the setting for the great religious celebrations.

You can do the tour on your own. But my advice is to do it with an expert guide. There are different tours of Catania to choose from. This way you won't miss out on anything in the city and you will also get to know countless curiosities, stories and typical Christmas traditions.

To talk about Christmas in Sicily, and therefore in Catania, is to talk about cribs and nativity scenes. There is no better place to get to know the Italian nativity tradition. My advice is to spend a few hours visiting at least the most important ones. Don't miss the nativity scenes in the Duomo, the church of San Benedetto or the church of San Francesco d'Assisi and the Immaculate Conception.

In fact, you can see nativity scenes in countless places and many of them are made up of figures that are true works of art. You will soon realise that they are made with great attention to detail. Pay attention to the expressiveness of the faces; realism is one of the typical characteristics of Sicilian nativity scenes.

But if there is one very special nativity scene that I recommend you visit, it is the one in the church of Santa Maria della Neve, in Acireale, a stone's throw from the city of Catania. Here, in a grotto of volcanic origin, you can visit a beautiful 18th century nativity scene with more than 30 life-size figures.

Don't miss the living nativity scenes

Living nativity scenes are also traditional in Sicily. And not too far from the city of Catania you can visit some of them, such as the ones in Caltagirone, Forza d'Agrò, Vizzini. If you have time, visiting them is a good way to immerse yourself in the Christmas traditions of this part of Italy.

A special museum: The International Museum of the Nativity

If you have plans to visit Catania in two days or more, and you decide to visit Caltagirone, in addition to its living nativity scene, there is another attraction in the town that you should not miss: the International Museum of the Nativity, the Luigi Colaleo Collection.

The collection consists of around a thousand pieces from different periods, some of which are unique. It is a magnificent journey through the best of the Sicilian nativity scene tradition and the work of the figurine makers who have been and still are true artists.

Christmas markets are very typical all over Italy. One of the most important in Catania is the Christmas Market held in the courtyard of Palazzo Minoriti, a magnificent baroque building in the historic heart of the city.

Via Minoriti is transformed into a magical place reminiscent of the traditional markets of Northern Europe. Wooden huts give shape to a village that is worth a leisurely stroll to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere. Of course, you can also buy a gift or a little something to take home as a souvenir of Catania.

In the stalls you will find small handicraft gems, including typical Sicilian puppets, figurines for the nativity scene and countless beads and small decorative objects made from the volcanic stone that is so popular in Catania.

If you appreciate good food, Christmas is a great time to visit Catania. The atmosphere is filled with aromas and flavours that are impossible to resist. I'll start at the end, with the sweet. The most typical is the buccellato. It is a puff pastry in the shape of a ring that is filled with chocolate, sultanas, honey, walnuts and other delicacies.

Although they are typical of the feast of St. Joseph, they are also eaten at Christmas. I'm talking about sfinci, round, fried pastries sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. And another sweet you must try is giurgiulena or cobaita, made with caramelised honey, sesame and almonds and whose origin is Arabic.

I will now tell you about the starters and main courses of Christmas in Catania. On the Christmas table you can't miss the crispelle, fritters made with flour and brewer's yeast and filled with ricotta or anchovies. Other typical dishes include pasta ncasciata, fried cod and falsomagro, a very thin meat stuffed and rolled up.

As you can see, the typical Christmas food in Catania is delicious, even if it is not exactly light. If there is a dish you particularly like, you can take advantage of your visit to learn how to make it in a cooking class. Without a doubt, one of the tastiest experiences you will take away from Catania.

If you have plans to make with children in Catania during Christmas, I recommend you to visit this authentic Christmas village. It is a magical place where the little ones can greet Father Christmas. They can take photos with him and ask him for their wishes.

But in this Christmas village, which has the University Square as its backdrop, there is much more to do. A host of activities and events are organised here for children to have a great time: jugglers' performances, storytellers and workshops to give free rein to their creativity, among many others.

And, as it is also a Christmas market, you can also buy some gifts, typical Christmas decorations and sweets that you can only try if you visit Catania at Christmas.

No visit to Catania is complete without climbing the most famous mountain in Sicily and the largest active volcano in Europe: Mount Etna. But doing it at Christmas time is very special. The reason? If you're lucky, it will be snow-capped and you'll be able to enjoy the most spectacular image of Sicily, with a white summit contrasting with the blue sea.

Do you like skiing or snowboarding? Perfect for you. In case you didn't know, Etna has great ski slopes where you can practice your favourite sport. The two resorts, Linguaglossa-Etna Nord and Nicolosi-Etna Sud, have slopes for all levels.

The skiing area is not comparable to that of other major European resorts, that's true, but 30 kilometres of slopes are enough to have a good time. What's more, on your return home you can boast of having skied in a really special place.

If you've never skied before or prefer a more relaxed activity, you can always go trekking in the areas set aside for this purpose. Or you can simply enjoy a snowball fight with the kids. Just remember to wear suitable clothing and footwear, goggles and sunscreen.

Palazzo Biscari is one of Catania's great architectural treasures. And at Christmas, it is also the setting for one of the most special events held in the city. It is therefore a good excuse to visit it.

That event is the "Magical Christmas", a unique flea market where you can see and buy gifts, handicrafts and typical products. All of them are carefully chosen so as not to clash with the classic and elegant appearance of this building. If you are looking for a gift for someone very important to you, this is the perfect place to find it.

The market is set up inside the palace, so I recommend that you don't just look at the stalls. Don't miss out on the elegance and beauty of the rooms in this building, a magnificent example of the . The frescoes on the ceilings and walls, the mirrors and the meticulous ornamentation will take you back in time.

If you feel like visiting the palace at a more leisurely pace, you can do so afterwards. The general admission ticket costs around 10 euros and will allow you to tour its magnificent halls and rooms with guided tours.

On Christmas Eve there is a tradition that I recommend you not to miss if you are in Catania, which is called Zucco. It is a tradition of pagan origin in which the main protagonists are the bonfires. In case you didn't know, mythology has it that Etna is the home of Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire.

Days before Christmas Eve, huge piles of logs and branches are set up in the squares of villages and towns in Catania. Just before dinner, people gather around them and, after being blessed, they are lit. It is a moment of gathering, but also of celebration, accompanied by popular songs and music.

The fire, on this "holy night", is the light that drives away darkness and purifies. But the tradition does not end when the bonfire is lit. The typical thing to do is to return after dinner, when the celebrations are over, to take a piece of wood with you. It is a kind of amulet to attract good luck.

Christmas in Catania has a very special sound, and you are sure to hear it at some point during your visit: the sound of the bagpipes. At any flea market or living nativity scene, you can't miss the zampognari. They are musicians dressed in typical shepherd costumes who play the zampogna, which is a bagpipe with several pipes, and the cornamusa, a kind of flute.

It is one of those traditions that have endured over time and have a special meaning. In the old days, the zampognari used to go through the streets of the villages a few days before Christmas to announce the arrival of the festivities. Today you can see and hear them in Catania in much the same way as centuries ago.

In fact, your visit may coincide with Zampognarea. It is a festival in which the bagpipes and the traditional music of Catania are the main protagonists. A host of concerts and travelling exhibitions are organised between the beginning of December and after Christmas, so you're likely to be able to take part in one or another activity during your stay, wherever you are.

Are you spending New Year's Eve in Catania? Then you can say goodbye to the year in a different way. Where? In Piazza del Duomo. Concerts are usually organised there on the evening of 31 December to liven up the wait until the countdown and the arrival of the new year.

If your visit doesn't coincide with New Year's Eve, don't worry. The Duomo square itself also hosts concerts on the previous nights. They are concerts, moreover, by artists of various musical styles. My advice: check Catania's cultural calendar.

A Christmas in Catania can be unforgettable if you know how to make the most of it. Here are some tips to make the experience as complete as possible:

• The first thing to consider is the climate in Catania. It's a mild climate, with average temperatures between 10 and 12°C, but highs of 16°C can be reached. Knowing this will help you choose what clothes to pack.

• If you are planning to take part in any of the Etna hikes, bear in mind that the mountain has an altitude of 3,300 metres. You may not reach the summit, but it is still essential to be fully equipped for the cold and to pack snow gear.

• My advice is to walk around the city. You'll discover places you might otherwise overlook and you can immerse yourself in Catania's lively atmosphere, especially at Christmas time.

• During the festive season, monuments and museums have special opening hours, as well as events and activities, especially for children. You should take this into account when making your plans to visit Catania.

• Don't forget to book in advance if you plan to have lunch or dinner in a restaurant, because especially in the middle of the Christmas season, they tend to be quite crowded. However, street food is a tradition in Catania, so you won't have any problems when it comes to eating out.