Christmas in Rome

The Christmas season is one of the best times to visit Rome. There are so many pluses and only one minus: it’s cold. Lights transform the city into a hub of illuminated holiday cheer. There are fewer tourists around (Christmas is usually slow for tourism, while many travelers come after the holiday and spend New Year’s in Rome).  And last but not least, the rich traditions of Italian Christmas can be witnessed all across the city.

In Rome, the most popular Christmas market is the bazaar that is staged each year in Piazza Navona. This massive square is transformed into Christmas central, with games and toys for children, appearances by Santa and the famed “Befana” a.k.a. the good witch who flies in on her broomstick on the day of the epiphany to fill the kiddies stockings with goodies. Also to be found are holiday crafts, tree trimmings, games, chocolate and candy, artists, you name it.

Meanwhile, the Vatican becomes a magical place at Christmas.  In 1982, Pope John Paul began a tradition of mounting a Christmas tree of about 30 meters or more in the center of St. Peter’s Square. Each year a tree is given as a gift by one of the regions of Italy or one of the E.U. nations.  Beside the tree, a nativity scene is created each year, drawing pilgrims from all over to admire it.

There is a midnight mass given by the pope each year on Christmas Eve. If you are lucky (or crafty) enough to get tickets for this mass, it is truly a special event. It is a time when  St. Peter’s is a truly a place of worship, where no crowds of tourists will swarm around you during their Vatican City tour, and for one evening it is possible to take in St. Peter’s not as a tourist attraction, but as the most important place of worship in Christianity.

© Copyright 2008, When In Rome Tours

When In Rome tours is a small company dedicated to providing innovative and thought-provoking Vatican Tours and Rome Tours for all audiences. Native-level English speaking guides of Rome and Italy help the tourist to discern between documented history and legend,  bringing the Eternal City to life like no other tour provider.

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