The most important moment of the Christmas celebration is lunch.
Unlike New Year's Eve, which takes place mainly in the evening, while waiting for the new year, Christmas experiences its key moment on the day of December 25th. Once all the religious and social duties have been completed, between masses and gifts and good wishes, we indulge in the pleasure of the lunch par excellence  and if the lunches of the south are notoriously excessive, while those of the north are mostly in search of touches of class , what unites everyone throughout Italy is a single commandment: eat a lot and well!

Recipes for Christmas lunch have always been divided between classic and indispensable tradition and touches of originality. Originality that does not only concern what is on the plate but also, and above all, how the table is decorated. Here are some suggestions that might help you do this. A journey between particular proposals and traditional ideas, which however never expire in the ancient, given that they can be readapted to the present.

What to eat during Christmas lunch

Throughout Italy, Christmas lunch is synonymous with fish-based dishes and this does not change from north to south. What varies is the first, which in the north is based on the tradition of fresh pasta in broth or sauce, while in the south spicy sauces or meat-based sauces dominate. Here are some recipes that might interest you as inspiration.

A typical northern lunch: tortellini or tagliatelle in meat broth, with a second course based on boiled meat or polenta seasoned with fish. Cod for all tastes, but also capitone or eel. In the centre, pasta reigns, possibly with sauce, and here too cod or capitone are the protagonists of the second courses. In the south, pasta is enjoyed with meat sauce and the second course does not necessarily have to be fish, often varied with meat-based dishes such as meatloaf or sausage.

Any original ideas for Christmas lunch? Try dishes never before presented on Christmas tables, such as the spinach bundle seasoned with orange-flavoured ricotta. Or the baked pork shank with juniper. Or even the "tricolor pie", a flan made of potatoes, courgettes and tomatoes. To you the choice....