Christmas in Italy Unit Study
In this free unit, your child will learn how Christmas is celebrated in Italy. In addition, they’ll learn about the geography of Italy, as well as a little related history and language arts. Unlike other “free” unit studies, you won’t have to buy or search for a bunch of required books. Everything you need, except the ingredients for a recipe, is available for free online.
This unit study is designed to last five days and can be used with a wide range of ages, making it a fun activity for the entire family to do together. With younger children, read the assignments aloud to them, and skip the written work if they aren’t ready for it. Older students can read their assignments independently. If you have teenagers, you may want to have them research Italy and its Christmas traditions further, either at the library or online. Then they could present what they’ve learned to the rest of the family.
Day 1: Introduction to Italy and its Geography
Watch Geography Now! Italy.
Read National Geographic Kids: Italy and click through the picture slide show.
Have your children find Italy on a world map or globe. Have your older children label Italy and the countries that border it (Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, and France) on this map of Europe. Here’s an answer key.
Day 2: Christmas in Italy Part 1
Read about Christmas in Italy at WhyChristmas.com.
Watch Rick Steves’ European Christmas: Italy.
Day 3: Christmas in Italy Part 2
Watch La Befana in Rome – Italian Christmas Traditions. In the video, a mother and her daughter talk about the Italian tradition of La Befana and visit a Christmas market.
Watch The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie DePaola, an Italian Christmas folk tale.
Have your older children write a letter to a friend or family member, telling them what they’ve learned about Christmas in Italy. They can use this friendly letter template or notebook paper. Younger children could draw a picture or tell someone about what they have learned.
Day 4: Christmas in Italy Part 3
Watch Best Italian Christmas Traditions YOU Can Enjoy in Italy.
Watch Merry Christmas, Strega Nona. In this story, Strega Nona abandons her usual pursuits to prepare the annual Christmas Eve feast for her entire town.
Listen to Italian Christmas songs as your children color a “Buon Natale” (Merry Christmas) coloring sheet. This website is in Italian. To print a coloring sheet, click “Versione in PDF da stampare” under the image. Next, click the arrows and choose “print” from the menu. Or, your children can continue to work on the worksheet and coloring set from Day 1.
Day 5: Christmas in Italy Recipes
Prepare torron (nut and nougat confection) or panettone (Christmas bread).
More Christmas Around the World Unit Studies
If you enjoyed this unit study, don’t miss our other Christmas Around the World units. We have several countries to choose from!
Note: This post was originally published on October 21, 2020 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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