Christmas time and Italian magic – get your festive treats from Olivo

December has arrived and, even though this time it looks grey and rainy rather than like a winter wonderland, Christmas is on its way. In the darkness, seasonal lights, Christmas trees and candles create the atmosphere. Christmas has arrived at Olivo too, and the shelves are groaning not only with classic Italian delicacies but also with traditional, delicious Italian Christmas treats!

Comparing Christmas in Finland and Italy, you'll find many similarities. In both countries Christmas is a time to spend with family, enjoy the bounty of the table and delight in presents. There are differences too, of course. Here in Finland the main day of Christmas is Christmas Eve, whereas for Italians the most important day is 25 December, Christmas Day. Italians often fast from sunset on 23 December until the following day. On Christmas Eve, Vigilia di Natale in Italian, the family gathers for a festive meal that is very different from what we see on our plates at Christmas in Finland. The meal consists largely of seafood: there are often seafood antipasti, pasta, fish and vegetables. Dessert is a modest affair of hazelnuts, almonds and dried fruit. People linger at the table for a long time and then attend the traditional Santa Messa di Natale, the holy Christmas midnight mass. On the night between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Babbo Natale, Father Christmas, also comes to bring presents.

Christmas Day, il Giorno di Natale, is the highlight of the Italian Christmas, so to speak. Children find their presents under the tree and in the evening there's a lavish festive meal. What's served can vary greatly (as can other Christmas traditions) depending on the region, as each has its own specialities, but generally people feast on meat dishes, antipasti, pasta and sides. Dessert is nuts, dried fruit and traditional Christmas cakes, panettone or pandoro. The rest of the evening goes much as it does here in Finland: digesting the food over games with family and loved ones.
In Italy, too, the Christmas season ends on 6 January, when children have one more exciting moment to look forward to as the kind witch Befana flies in on her broomstick and leaves presents and sweets for good children.

You can bring a touch of Italy to your own Christmas too. Olivo currently has a wide, high-quality selection of the season's greatest delicacies. With us you'll find treasured gifts for Babbo Natale's sack and wonderful presents to take when visiting relatives or friends. There are tasty additions for your own Christmas table, and if you're not a fan of traditional Christmas food, you can even build a whole Italian Christmas meal with our products, from antipasti to delicious pasta dishes!

For Father Christmas's sack, as a host gift or for yourself, we can warmly recommend, for example, the following products, which are sure to bring a little Italian atmosphere to the Finnish winter:

• Panettone and pandoro: These traditional cakes are definitely one of the highlights of our Christmas range. Beautifully packaged and delicious, they look impressive on the Christmas table and also make striking gifts when visiting; panettone and pandoro are traditional Christmas gifts in Italy too.
  
• Jams and marmalades: Our range currently includes high-quality I Peccatucci di Mamma Andrea marmalades, made in Sicily from completely natural ingredients without preservatives. The fig and brandy marmalade, for example, goes brilliantly with cheese.
  
  
• Chocolate truffles: Olivo now has a wide selection of lovely chocolate truffles in many different flavours. La Perla di Torino's chocolate truffles, for example, look beautiful and taste even better!
  
  
• Teas: Olivo has a good selection of high-quality green and black teas from La Via del Tè, and now there's also a charming range of Christmas teas – loose-leaf tea packed in a beautiful tin, for example, is the perfect gift for a tea lover.
  
• Cheeses, salami and antipasti: A cheese board is now part of many Finns' Christmas treats too. Olivo has a melt-in-the-mouth selection of cheeses such as taleggio, pecorino and scamorza. To go with the cheeses we have tasty dolce and piccante salami and a luxurious truffle salami. The range also includes air-dried ham and various vegetable antipasti, such as artichokes and tomatoes, to crown any cheese board.
  
  
• Fresh olive oil: This gem isn't a Christmas product as such, but this product, highly prized in Italy too, makes a perfect gift. It's an unfiltered, fresh olive oil available only once a year at the start of the olive harvest. In Italy it's so popular and eagerly awaited that people queue for it, and it doesn't stay on the shelf for long here at Olivo either. The oil has a beautiful cloudy green colour and a strong, nuanced flavour.
  
  Classic products such as a good olive oil, balsamic vinegar and quality pasta are also always great gifts – you really can't go wrong choosing from Olivo's range! Come and visit our shop and we'll help you find the perfect product for your needs, whether it's for Father Christmas's sack, a host gift or for yourself, or visit our website to explore our range.
  
  Wishing everyone a lovely and delicious Christmas! Buon Natale!