In the 18th century visitors very often selected to come to Rome at christmas. Their stay usually lasted for many weeks and as its first part coincided with some of the most sumptuous religious ceremonies, its final one was devoted to more lay matters as the year end festivities were followed by the then celebrated Roman Carnival.
Each year a particularly tall christmas tree is erected in Piazza S. Pietro : it is located near the obelisk and each year it is donated by a another nation. A different tree is erected in Piazza Venezia, which is in general considered thevery middle of Rome ; trees appear in several of the other historical squares. The dark green of the trees vainly fights to bring a feeling of freezing winters and snowy landscapes. Marbles, travertine, palms, pines and a bright sunshine all conjure up a warmer Mediterranean atmosphere. One then understands why these trees donot belong to the Italian traditional way of celebrating christmas.

The 1st crib ( It. Presepio ) is assumed to have been prepared by St. Francis in the 1223 Christmas’ night in the monastery of Greccio, a very small city in Middle Italy. The re-enactment of episodes of Jesus’ life wasnot new as scenes of Christ’s Passion were before now part of the ceremonies of the Holy Week. Cribs became highly regarded and in the following centuries the producing of the statues and of the countryside elements became a sort of minor art. The majority of the churches of Rome have terribly intricate cribs which are displayed in the weeks previous to christmas. To keep living the custom in less official strategies in a number of churches scouts are invited to make and exhibit their individual crib.

during the past, Italian kids were given candy and toys for the Epiphany in a re-enactment of the gifts brought to Jesus by the Magi : according to a popular custom Befana, an old fairy having the side of amagician, fills the socks that children left close to the hearth with toys and sweets. Today in most families gifts including those to kids are exchanged at christmas, but still a sock of candies is mostly given at the Epiphany. Disobedient boys may find pieces of black coal instead, but they shortly realize theyare made of sugar.
until the 1950s a marionette theatre with the traditional characters of the Italian comedy was a toy really valued by most girls and boys. Today the bulk of the puppets basically sold portray Television and film icons.

At christmas the sun doesnot get high enough to allow taking pictures in the narrow streets of inner Rome, but some pictures in the archaeological districts get an extra attention from the extended shadows projected by the monuments. You can spot the shade of Colonna Traiana projected on the buildings behind it. Maybe you can see it from the Appartments Rom.
Early in the sunrise it may be necessary to wear a hat and a headband, but during the daytime, the sunlight may increase the temperature to 15C/60F and it is warm enough for some spontaneous foliage to put down roots next to the travertine plants of Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. Start you Rome journey from an Appartment Rom which you can book at Oh-Holidays.

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