Christmas in the Village

A Christmas tailored to the village

In the heart of the Ischian winter, when the island slows its pace and the beaches remain deserted, the village of Succhivo lights up. Christmas in the Village is the event where this small hamlet in the Municipality of Serrara Fontana, in the Province of Naples, opens its narrow streets to visitors for a day of festivities entirely organized by its residents. This is not a large city market; it is a village Christmas, where everyone knows each other by name and the program is born from the ideas of those who live there year-round.

Artisan nativity scenes among the 'curteglie'

The common thread of the event is the trail through the artisan nativity scenes set up in the alleys and entryways of the village, known in Succhivo as 'e curteglie. Families open up their courtyards, cellars, and corners of their homes: you walk uphill, climb steps, and enter private spaces that become public for an afternoon. It is the most authentic way to discover a settlement that usually remains on the fringes of tourist itineraries, overshadowed by the nearby fame of Sant'Angelo.

The market and the flavors of the island

Alongside the nativity scenes, you will find the handmade craft market, curated primarily by local artisans, and food stalls that warm up the winter day. Past editions have featured hot chocolate, mulled wine, freshly fried 'graffe' (doughnuts), mini pizzas, and traditional island hot dishes served at the end of the route. Gastronomy here is not just a side dish: it is the moment when the village sits down together, just as it did when the fishermen of Sant'Angelo would climb up to Succhivo to barter fish for the farmers' fruit and vegetables.

Children, music, and the wait for Santa Claus

The afternoon is designed for families: entertainment for children kicks off the day, followed over the years by magic shows, readings, bingo games, workshops, and the arrival of Santa Claus through the alleys. Some editions have gone further, featuring a theatrical walk through private homes, performed by local dance companies and schools, with staggered departures and limited spots by reservation. Music accompanies the route until evening, when the village lights reflect in the gulf below.

An environmentally conscious event

In recent years, the event has also adopted an ecological focus. In partnership with Plastic Free, a used toy exchange was offered to children to simply teach the value of reuse and resource respect, while paper plates and eco-friendly cutlery replaced single-use plastic at food stalls. The association has announced that its Spring Festival will be recognized as a Plastic Free EcoEvent: a sign of continuity for all the village's gatherings.

The Gertrud Streicher Association

Behind the event is the Gertrud Streicher Cultural Association, founded to rediscover and promote the heritage of Succhivo and active since 2015 with Christmas in the Village. The name honors a foreign woman—local chronicles remember her as Austrian—who chose this corner of Ischia as her home in the late 1950s, forming a deep bond with the community. The association marks the village's year with the Carnival, the Spring Festival among vegetable gardens and cellars, the Feast of Saint John for the summer solstice, and, of course, Christmas.

Succhivo, between Mount Epomeo and the sea

Succhivo developed along the ancient mule track that connected Sant'Angelo with Serrara Fontana: an economic bridge between the fishermen of the coast and the farmers of the mountains. Its iconic monument is the Church of Santa Maria di Montevergine, a single-nave building housing a painting attributed to Alfonso Di Spigna and statues of Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Vincent Ferrer, the patrons of the two communities between which the village is suspended. All around, agricultural terraces, dry-stone walls, and views plunging into the sea remain: one of the most intact rural landscapes in the insular Campania region.

When it takes place

Christmas in the Village is traditionally held in December, usually on a Sunday afternoon starting around 3:30 PM and continuing until evening. The most recent documented edition took place on Sunday, December 14, 2025. An official date for the December 2026 edition has not yet been announced: it is best to follow the channels of the Gertrud Streicher Association and the Municipality of Serrara Fontana in the weeks leading up to the holidays.