Christmas Taormina Style

Taormina is known as the pearl of the Ionian Sea, it is a town full of myth and legend draped in ancient history. In summer it is a popular destination for the international Jet Set and it is one of the most beautiful parts of Sicily. The town has incredible energy, boasts beautiful colours, exciting aromas and the tastes of authentic Sicilian cuisine.

In the Winter season it can be the perfect destination for a festive city break or romantic weekend away.

In Sicily, Christmas starts on 8th December, the day of the Immaculate Conception and lasts until Epiphany on 6th January.

Taormina is a charming place to be at Christmas time and this winter a lot more hotels and restaurants are staying open.

This year Taormina has been stunningly adorned with an abundance of beautiful decorations, therefore here are 12 festive reasons to visit Taormina:

The Weather
With weather in mind winter in Taormina is mild compared to northern European towns, the skies can be clear and life continues to be lived outdoors. On a clear day you will see Mount Etna's snowy peak sparkling in the winter Sicilian sunshine as if she has been dusted with icing sugar especially for the festive season. Average daytime temperatures can reach a high of 14 degrees celsius and a crisp 10 degrees Celsius in the evening. If you are travelling from the UK it can sometimes feel more like early spring than winter but do be warned that the Sicilians will be wrapped up warm, in big coats, scarves and hats whatever the temperature.

Cheaper Flights

Flights to Catania can be relatively cheaper in winter than in peak season especially if you book early. Unfortunately some airlines do not fly every day as they do in peak season. When we first bought our Sicilian house 11 years ago there was only one direct flight a week to Catania from UK, therefore we improvised with connecting flights via Milan. We would book the first flight out of London to Milan and then the last flight of the day from Milan to Catania giving us enough time to take the high speed train from Milan Malpensa airport into the city and enjoy lunch and Christmas shopping Milanese style. The perfect excuse to visit two beautiful Italian destinations in one trip.

Beautiful Accommodation
In the past a lot of hotels in Taormina have annually closed over the winter season but this year a lot have chosen to remain open. The advantage of a winter break is that accommodation will be slightly cheaper than peak season and less busy. Accommodations run across the entire range, from five star luxury hotels, boutique resorts, restored country houses and castles. There is also the options of lovely homely bed and breakfasts or renting a private home or apartment.

Amazing Restaurants and Bars
An Italian holiday means fabulous dining. With a lot more accommodation open this winter a lot of restaurants and bars have also opted to stay open in Taormina. If you like Italian food then you will fall in love with Sicilian food. Eating out is a ritual enjoyed by locals and visitors alike and there are restaurants to suit all palates and budgets. From laidback pizzerias and trattorias serving freshly caught seafood dishes and delicious grilled fish to fine dining restaurants. An enjoyable meal is an important part of Sicilian life, so feel free to linger in any establishment as long as you like. The wine industry in Sicily has been going through a rapid period of change over the past twenty years so you will be spoilt with an abundance of volcanic wines to choose from.

Christmas Shopping
Come early evening its time for the passeggiata, the tradition of taking a stroll, enjoy an aperitif and perhaps do some shopping whether for a beautiful piece of jewellery or a bottle of local wine. The main shopping street Corso Umberto stretches from Porta Messina to Porta Catania and is packed with elegant shops perfect for Christmas shopping, ranging from food to shoes and clothing. Antiques and traditional ceramics from the town of Caltagirone are common items to purchase and there are beautiful jewellers with gemstones twinkling in their windows. There are many high end fashion stores and enotecas selling the finest Sicilian wines. A tempting gift is Sicily's famous marzipan fruit which are very hard to resist. It is also advisable to veer off up and down the viccoli, the little alleys and stairs that lead off Corso Umberto where little hidden gems can be found. For those wanting to head further afield the Sicilia Outlet Village located near the town of Enna in central Sicily is a great shopping destination which has over 140 shops including Armani, Gucci, Michael Kors and many more offering up to 70% discounts.

Beautiful Churches
Taormina boasts beautiful architecture, monuments and a breath taking ancient Greek theatre, the towns churches are most notable and at Christmas they offer a festive atmosphere including that of the Duomo of San Nicola which is Taormina's cathedral, San Pancrazia, San Giuseppe, Chiesa del Varo, Santa Caterina and St Georges Anglian Church. The Anglican Church of St George was built by Sir Edward and Lady Mabel Hill in 1922 after the private chapel in their house became too small to for the growing English speaking community in Taormina. English speaking services are still held there today and the Christmas carol service is not to be missed. On Christmas Day morning you will be treated to the sound of harmonic chiming church bells.

Hiking and Skiing on Mount Etna
Mount Etna is Europe's highest volcano. It covers an area of approximately 1250 square km's and reaches a height of approximately 3350 meters. For its repeated eruptions over many years, it can be considered one of the most active volcanos in the world. From its height Mount Etna dominates Sicily, its three surrounding seas and the tip of the Italian mainland. From Taormina it is easy to visit this magnificent volcano. Hiking or walking on Etna is a highlight on any trip to Sicily and in the winter months it is possible to do this with the help of snow shoes and a qualified guide. There are hiking trails to suit all levels of fitness. Due to the abundance of snow that Etna enjoys in winter months it is also possible to ski on its slopes.

Delicious Food
The feast of the seven fishes is a traditional Christmas Eve dinner thought to have started in Sicily. It is a meal that that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes which dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat on certain times of the year. In Sicily, Christmas Eve dinner is much more important than Christmas Day festivities. During the winter season Sicilians keep up their strength with hearty pasta dishes, one of the most popular is Anelletti al Forno, a baked pasta dish made using a small ring shaped pasta that is hard to find outside Sicily. I usually bring packs of Anelletti back to UK with me, watch this space for a new post coming soon. Winter also is part of the citrus season from October to April making the orange tree the Sicilian Christmas tree.

Christmas Traditions
On Christmas Eve in Taormina after dinner and present opening everybody heads to Piazza Duomo where a huge bonfire is lit at 11pm, the tradition is that the bonfire will keep the baby Jesus warm. The locals call Christmas Eve Luminaria (Illumination). Evening mass starts at midnight when the priest carries the baby Jesus down the aisle. Eating begins in Sicilians homes on Christmas eve and then continues for the next 24 hours and as expected in Sicily, sweets and desserts are of the most importance. Christmas day evening is usually spent playing card games such as scopa or briscola with a set of Sicilian playing cards.

Nativity Scenes
Nativity scenes in Sicily are very popular particularly the custom of holding a Presepe Vivente (living crib), whereby local people dress up as Mary, Joseph, the three kings, shepherds and angels in a theatrical presentation of the Christmas story. Not far away from Taormina is one of the best on the island in nearby Trapitello where you can walk along a planned route and watch men dressed in coppola's (traditional Sicilian flat caps) who reinact ploughing the earth and see women young and old dressed in scarves and shawls hard at work scrubbing mock laundry. It is also a chance for the local actors to demonstrate traditional skills such as baking, sewing, carpentry and stone masonry. There are live animals too and at the end you see a real baby playing Jesus in his crib, always played by a lucky local baby.

Fun New Years Eve's 
Many of Taormina's restaurants offer a set menu for New Years festivities. However Sicilian tradition says that prosperity is ensured for the year ahead if you eat lentils on New Years Eve. No lentils, no money, why take the risk!!! To improve your chance of good fortune you should also eat macaroni, as the Sicilian proverb says "He who eats macaroni on New Years Day for the whole of the New Year keeps trouble away". Another tradition involves throwing old plates, glasses, vases and pottery out the window to make room for the new. Although this is rarely practiced these days, it is best to keep aware of any open windows whilst walking around Taormina at midnight on New Years Eve. Also wearing red underwear is supposed to bring good luck, but I will leave that one up to you. But just to let you know there are some beautiful lingerie shops on Corso Umberto 😉

La Befana 
In Sicilian folklore La Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to children on Epiphany Eve, 5th January, in a similar way to Father Christmas. She is usually portrayed as an old lady riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and covered in soot as she enters the house via the chimney to fill childrens stocking with sweets and presents if they have been good or a lump of coal if they have been bad. In Taormina you will see many traditional sweets dedicated to her. Popular tradition tells that if you see La Befana you will receive a thump on the head from her broomstick as she does not want to be seen. So on the evening of 5th January look up into the skies above Taormina for La Befana and watch your head.

A special Thank you to Isabella at

Weddings in Sicily Taormina

for sending me photos of Taormina's Christmas lights

Additional Photo Credits:
BamBar Taormina
Ristorante Baronessa
Presepe Vivente di Trapitello
Bonfire, Google Images
All other photos are my own

The Christmas Decorations this year in Taormina

were installed by

Di Benedetto Light Design

If you enjoyed this post then you might enjoy these from my Blog archive:

7 Sicilian Fish Dishes for Christmas Eve
https://whitealmond-privatesicily.blogspot.com/2017/12/7-sicilian-fish-dishes-for-christmas-eve.html

My Sicilian Christmas Wish List
https://whitealmond-privatesicily.blogspot.com/2016/12/my-sicilian-christmas-wish-list.html

La Befana … Italy's Good Witch
https://whitealmond-privatesicily.blogspot.com/2015/01/la-befana-sicilys-good-witch.html

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