5 Christmas traditions in Tuscany

We start in Abbadia San Salvatore, the delightful village on the slopes of Mount Amiata that, on the night of December 24, transforms into the City of Torches with an ancient ritual seeing huge stacks of wood set ablaze at midnight all around the historic center. Throughout the night until dawn, the village is illuminated by firelight, around which people gather to be together, to sing, eat typical sweets and drink mulled wine.

Go back in time in Monteriggioni on an atmospheric evening walk along the Via Francigena on December 24. Setting off at 9:00 pm from the 13^th-century castle then walking through the woods, lit only by the light of hundreds of torches, we reach Abbadia ad Isola after 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) through forests and fields, ending with mass held in the stunning Abbey of Santi Salvatore e Cirino. A truly special event for a spiritual Christmas night.

Christmas fires are also lit in the Garfagnana mountains. In Gorfigliano, a quaint village in the municipality of Minucciano, a very old tradition continues, seeing the evening of December 24 dedicated to Natalecci. These giant bonfires are constructed by weaving juniper branches onto a chestnut trunk, positioned on the most visible hillsides around the village then set ablaze just as the bells ring out to commence prayer. An ancestral and truly evocative ritual!

As per ancient tradition, La Befana brings sweets to all good children—and coal to the naughty ones!
In Tuscany on January 6, a bevy of Befanas descend from the bell towers, launching themselves from the palazzi and even parachuting down to bring good wishes and yummy treats to families.
In Florence, Siena, Volterra, Cascina, Pisa, Pistoia, Santa Maria a Monte, Livorno and even inside the Equi Terme Grotto, you can witness the flight of these reckless old ladies and feel like a kid again!

We end our roundup of events with one of the most curious of Christmas traditions in Tuscany—in Pienza between December 26 and January 4, the highly anticipated tournament “Torneo del Gioco del Panforte” is held. Teams take turns tossing the traditional sweet from Siena onto special tables. The winning team is the one that launches the panforte closest to the edge without it falling off. After the tournament, the sweets are given to charity because—although a little bruised—they their delicious taste is unharmed.