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You're in luck!
By Steph

Hi! I just happen to have my Carson Dellosa December book home with me. There is a two page spread on Italy. I'll summarize. If you want more detail on anything, let me know.

Books: The Legend of the Old Befana
or Merry Christmas, Strega Nona
both by Tomie de Paola.

Buon Natale (bwon nah TAHL e)

Crafts:
My Ceppo- a small triangular ladder for in Italian homes around Christmas. Instead of a tree, the ceppo is decorated with candles, ornaments, small gifts, family treasures, and most importantly a nativity scene. Ask students to think of things important

to them and draw a ceppo. (Triangle with three shelves...star or angel at the top). Can write a paragraph about why those things are important to them.

Hidden Letter- During the Christmas feast, Italian children often hide a letter in their father's napkin or under his plate promising to be good in the new year. Have students write letters to their parents, explaining the ways they will be good in the year to come. Write each letter on square paper and fold it in half diagonally to form a triangle. Turn the triangle so the long side is on the bottom and fold left and right corners to the outside, making the paper look like a napkin. Students hid letters underneath a parent's plate at dinner.

Quick Quilling- quilling is the traditional Italian art of curling strips of paper and gluing them together to form lacy designs. Give each student several strips of white paper, about 1/4" wide. (Thicker for younger students) Roll the strips of paper into curls and glue them together in fancy designs. Show students how hearts, teardrops, and other designs can be made by rolling the apaper from both ends and pinching folds in the curls. Create snowflake ornaments.

Hope that gives you some good ideas. I've done the letter and the snowflake. I used cardstock and they turned out really pretty.

Steph