The sheer scale and variety of traditions, between regions and families alike, makes it impossible to offer to the reader a comprehensive overview of Christmas celebrations in Italy. But wherever you are in the country, this is it: the big day, the main event, the Olympics of holidays. Our focus for this first installment is a proper Christmas lunch in Romagna and the protagonist, some may even say the hero of the Christmas’ spectacle, the Matriarch.

Grandma, aka the Matriarch

Cooking is power. She who controls the stove keeps all other family members in check via their stomachs. Grandma dominates from the high altar of her experience; after all, she has been cooking for more than sixty years. Disputing her dominance is futile.