|  Have
yourself a Roman Little Christmas now.
In Rome we’ve got more than 200 churches built in every architecture
style of almost any historic period. Rome has got 4 major Basilicas,
huge, breathtaking churches of astonishing beauty. Rome has got
the Vatican,
where the Pope and hundreds of men and women of the cloth live and
pray every day. Can you imagine how our Christmas time is like?!
St.
Peter’s Basilica and St
Peter’s square, of course, are the heart of all celebrations
during Christmas time in Rome. Here is where the
midnight mass on the 24th and the midday mass on the 25th take places,
with the Blessings by the Pope from his Balcony and it’s also
here where a tremendously huge Christmas tree is planted and decorated
with hundreds of coloured lights.
Christmas time mood “officially” starts in Italy on
the 8th of December, feast of the Immaculate conception dedicated
to the Virgin Mary, an holiday in which everybody is supposed to
put up a Christmas tree and a typical Italian presepe (crèche),
somewhere in the living room. After this everybody feels ready to
start the long shopping afternoons and evenings, especially during
the weekend, to look for presents for friends and relatives, walking
in the wonderfully light up streets, necks wrapped into woollen
scarves and heads covered by hats, smiling whenever a zampognaro
passes by playing Christmas tunes with his typical musical instrument
all dressed up as an ancient shepherd. Caldarroste (hot chestnuts)
scent expanding everywhere from pitchmen at almost every corner
is the last touch to create the perfect Christmas in Rome
atmosphere.
Colourful flea markets and children’s fairs blossom all over
the city. The one in Piazza
Navona is the most popular one: stalls stuffed with candies,
sweets and small toys of any kind are open until late at night and
a merry-go-round stands just close to Bernini’s Rivers Fountain,
under its great obelisk. Piazza Navona is the typical
destination for families, where mums and dads can find everything
they need to fill their children’s socks in occasion of the
6th of January, the day that closes the whole Christmas holidays
period. The 6th is the day in which the three kings arrived to Bethlehem
following the star to finally meet the new born child and to bring
him their presents. To remember this, in Italy children wait for
la Befana to pass by in the night, an old witch who brings them
sweets and toys. In other words, another Santa Claus,
just some days later, cause two gifts are always better then one!
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