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A TRADITIONAL ROMAN CHRISTMAS EVE
written by Sergio Caggìa and Paul Gwynne for © Nerone the Insider's Guide to Rome

 

Let's leave recipes aside this month to describe instead a traditional Christmas eve as it used to be celebrated in Rome until last century. A few aspects, however, have survived; such as the games we play after dinner, the crib and the poems that the children say standing beside the crib or upon the table after the meal. Others, like the traditional fish market by the Portico d'Ottavia (in the Jewish quarter), some cakes and recipes have changed. To start, there was a fascinating market which, on the evening of the 23 December had its most important moment.    Tradition had it that on that night each Roman, poor or noble would go there to choose the fish, which would become the main course for the dinner Christmas Eve. Moreover, it was a fashion for all the nobility to meet there and in the middle of the night, leaving the splendour of their palaces to walk on the slippery pavement littered with fish scales.    There by torch light, the fish were displayed on stone slabs among green vegetables in a cheerful medley. This market was known by the name Cottio and was the direct descendent of the Forum Piscium (the ancient Roman fish market) that was located between the Forum Romanum, the Forum Olitorium and the Forum Boarium. The Cottio was begun in the 12th century and lasted till the beginning of the last century. Its name may derive from the Latin words cotties or quoties for the price of the fish quoted everynight in an auction where Italian terms were often mixed with Hebrew in a mixture of languages as happens today in the stock exchange. It's curious to note how highly prized were the fish heads.   Heads were in fact the main ingredient for a good stock with which every Roman family used to start the meal. The head of the CEFALO was the most appreciated and fish heads were so well considered by Romans that from the 14th century until 1798 a law gave the Conservators the privilege of free heads from STORIONS over 1,13 m. in length. The conclusion of this privilege is engraved in two stone slabs. One is kept in the Church of Sant Angelo in Pescheria (the pescheria is the fish market); the other can be found on the Campidoglio. But let's begin a description of a traditional Roman Christmas Eve. Imagine that while a good fire is burning in the fireplace, while the house is alive with the sound of children's voices and guests mingle, mine host is getting the table ready.    The Christmas tree and the crib are there and candles are alight. In the kitchen the ingredients bought the night before at the Cottio are being transformed into a superb meal. Taste buds would be set tingling with an antipasto of olives and marinaded eels or other little fishes. Then the dinner would begin properly with the famous fish-head stock. Then the pastasciutta was served with a tomato and tuna sauce followed by the Baccala in Umido (boiled cod) with onions, tomato sauce, pine nuts and raisins... and we are only half way through! As a break we are now served little frittelle of broccoli or apples, before the final main dish of the Capitone (a big eel).    The traditional Christmas cake consisted of the Mostacciolo, made from sugar and almonds into the shape of a diamand and Torrone nougat... very hard to bite! and the Pangiallo bread made with saffrono, figs, almonds and rasins originally and later enriched with candid fruits, chocolate, pine nuts, hazelnuts and walnuts. This last can still be found! Maybe the tradition of eating Pangiallo is linked with the ancient ritual of exchanging bread among the first christians. Mostaccioli have been replaced by a focaccia made of flour and sweet wine. As we said, after this dinner Romans used to entertain themselves with a tombola or a game of cards. But before then, the table must be cleared so as not to confuse the holy and the profane! Before starting the games the children would say the traditional poem on the birth of Jesus and recieve their presents.    The whole family then plays together while thay wait to go to church for midnight mass. The souls of the dead were believed to come to taste the leftovers and to remind to the living to pray for them. Midnight is close and tomorrow is Christmas!

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