Christmas Lights

Christmas is just around the corner! Hence a plethora of Mercatini di Natale (Christmas markets) mushroom all over the country, because when the countdown begins people hustle to grab the finest gifts and decorations. So this is the right time and place to plan your next sojourn in one of these evocative Italian locations. Here are some Christmas markets you should definitely include in your bucket list.

The majority of the December markets that you cannot miss out are in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. Bolzano Christkindlmarkt is one of the most popular and frequented in the North as well as that of Trento. During the Festive Season they turn into enchanted settings that look like come out straight from a fairytale, especially when dusted with snow whose whiteness brings out the colourful dazzling lights. The locals dress up with their traditional holiday costumes and roam through the streets hosting stands laden with all sorts of typical trimmings such as Tyrolean slippers, woollen sweaters and scarves, painted or felt crafts, blown glass angels and so on and so forth. Voices of Christmas tales and typical carols will accompany your shopping.

But these festivities spread throughout the Italian 'boot'. You cannot expect anything less spectacular in Milan for instance. Indeed outside the wall of the magnificient Sforza Castle the famous Oh Bej Oh Bej fair, which is dedicated to its patron Saint Ambrogio, allures plenty of tourists every year. In Rome, in the centre of the peninsula, the sacred and the profane begin to blend. Many stalls deck out in the outstanding Piazza Navona which lit up with glowing lights and filled up with a variety of items. Moreover kids meet Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) and the Befana (old hag) who hand out presents to the children, in the midway between being enchanted and scared. At the same time a life-size nativity scene overlooks the square. 

Going South the religious side of the occasion is emphasized. This is so true that in Naples an entire street is dedicated to the production and sale of presepi (nativity representations). That is the striking Via San Gregorio Armeno, which is studded by nativity workshops and you could also find its vendors dressed with traditional shepherd costumes.

Let's wander through the fairy days of Christmas time, and once you are exhausted of strolling through the walkways, take a gratifying hot cup of chocolate or vin brulé (mulled wine). If you are nearby you would regret skipping it. So make sure to find the perfect gift for your beloved ones.