There are no hard and fast rules for a celebration menu, though a few rough generalisations can be made
In Italy it would be unthinkable to have a celebration without food. Whether it’s a baptism, birthday party, graduation, wedding or anniversary, Christmas, New Year, Easter, a Saint’s Day, even a simple Sunday lunch, whatever the occasion, public or private, it will always entail a meal specially prepared to fit the occasion. Put simply, when Italians celebrate, they celebrate with food.
The celebrations can range from lavish private banquets to informal parties that are open to everyone, and the menu will depend on the event, the season, and the region. In Italy, it’s probably safe to say that there is a dish specifically designed to celebrate every occasion, just as there is a festival designed to celebrate every dish. And it does not end with dishes. Italians also honour ingredients through the countless summer sagre, or food festivals. In my home province alone, between June and early September sagre will be held to celebrate everything from garlic to cherries, frogs to ducks, polenta flour to potatoes, and mushrooms to chestnuts. Take into consideration the various dishes that merit food festivals over the same period – pasta and beans, polenta and cheese, tripe and onions, plus many others – and you begin to wonder how Italians find time to do anything but celebrate over the summer!