S. McDonald A. Italy is an excellent place to spend the Christmas season, although you will find that Romans tend to celebrate Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day itself. The main meal is held on Christmas Eve and is followed by an exchange of presents and Midnight Mass.

The traditional Italian Christmas dinner features fish rather than turkey. It has been said that Christmas in Italy is neither a religious nor a secular festival but a culinary one . . . an opportunity to eat fish, sometimes 10 or 12 courses of the stuff. The Christmas Eve banquet might well include the following: fish antipasti, spaghetti with clams or tuna sauce, fritto misto (salt cod fritters and fritters with artichokes, broccoli, pumpkin and zucchini) followed by a baked fish such as capitone (Roman eel).

The meal concludes with traditional cakes such as panettone, pandoro, torrone, cantuccini biscuits and a fruit and nut cake called pangiallo.

Not all restaurants around the Spanish Steps will be open on Christmas Eve, but seafood specialist Porto di Ripetta (250 Via di Ripetta, 00 39 06 36 12 376) will be.

Make sure you book in advance.

On Christmas Day the tradition is to eat less formally. A Roman lunch on Christmas Day might include antipasti misti, pasta, roast lamb or kid with artichokes and the same range of seasonal cakes.

Once again not every restaurant by the Spanish Steps will be open but Al 34 (34 Via Mario de'Fiori, 00 39 06 67 95 091) which offers a predominantly southern Italian menu, is open for Christmas lunch.

Book well ahead.