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How to spend your Roman holiday at Christmas
One month (and more) to spend your Roman holiday at Christmas!
It all officially starts on December 8 in Piazza di Spagna when the firefighters hoist a wreath onto the Column of the Immaculate Conception, circling the neck of the Virgin Mary. In fact, Christmas begins with the announcement of the birth of Christ to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel. However, the commercial and capitalist side of Christmas has long prevailed over the more inner component, the intimate participation that so many of us have known as children. So, if you are wondering how to spend your Roman holiday at Christmas, know that the city begins to “light up” starting in the second half of November.
Wondering how to spend your Roman holiday at Christmas? Some tips
There is so much to do in Rome during Christmas time. Let’s see some ideas (just suggestions!).
1) A walk amidst gifts, traditional products and cotton candy
In short: the Christmas markets! If you decide to take a Roman holiday at Christmas, you can’t miss strolling through the markets, looking for a gift to put under the tree or just to enjoy a bag of roasted chestnuts. Go to Piazza Navona and relive your childhood by eating cotton candy, or go through Piazza Mazzini in search of traditional products. And if you want to experience the magic of an authentic Christmas village, venture away from the city center and visit the Christmas village in south Rome at the Solara Garden Center. In short, a trip to the heart of the holiday season in Italy, which lasts through the Epiphany on January 6.
2) A passage through faith: St. Peter’s and beyond …
Have you finished shopping? Your Roman holiday at Christmas can only continue with a trip to the center of the faith. How about strolling around St. Peter’s Square and seeing the huge fir tree in the middle of the square? And then there is the basilica, need I say more?
3)… Christmas cribs in Rome
Did you think that the art of the crib was exclusive to the artisans of San Gregorio Armeno in Naples? Well, it isn’t. Indeed, during your Roman holiday at Christmas, you can admire one of the oldest nativity scenes in the world, created in 1291 by Arnolfo di Cambio and located today in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. And don’t forget the permanent crib in the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian: you will be in for a treat!
4) Exceptional vacation, exceptional evening!
To make your Roman holiday at Christmas unforgettable, you must treat yourself to an extraordinary classical music concert in a truly incredible setting, the Church of St. Paul’s Within in the Walls—after all, it is the holiday season, is it not? The I Virtuosi dell’opera di Roma orchestra, conducted by maestro Adriano Melchiorre, will give you an unrivaled experience in the world of opera, with concerts that take place during the final days of the year and through the New Year’s holiday. From La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi to the most famous arias in the history of classical music.
So? Still don’t know how to spend your Roman holiday at Christmas? There’s no doubt: spend your Christmas vacation in Rome; you won’t regret it.