![]() Each year on Christmas Eve, the pope celebrates midnight Mass at St. So, in 1982, he added a lighted evergreen to the celebrations, standing tall near the central obelisk. But Pope John Paul II, who grew up in Poland and became the first non-Italian pope in a very long time, missed having a Christmas tree. The Vatican's Nativity scene has always been the premier decoration on St. The Bambino figure is usually kept in a glass case in a chapel, but at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, he's presented to the church's eager and expectant congregation. ![]() Children especially love the Bambino, writing him letters and reciting poems to him on Christmas Day. He's believed to have miraculous healing powers, and it's said that the Bambino's lips turn red if a prayer is about to be answered and pale if there is no hope. The Santo Bambino, a statue of the holy child, is clothed in rich fabrics and covered with jewels. One of the most important relics in Rome is at the Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. Artistic quality varies, but each is unique. Dip into any church in town from early December through Epiphany (January 6) to see one, or visit Piazza del Popolo's annual exhibition, with 100 presepi made by artists and schoolchildren. There you can see five wooden planks, said to be from the original Christmas manger.Ĭreative crèches are on display all over town, ranging from old and traditional to avant-garde. For a bit of manger history, visit the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Francis taught the story of Jesus's birth with props. Manger scenes, called presepi, originated just a little north of Rome in Assisi some 800 years ago, when St. ![]() The season here stretches for over a month - not to maximize shopping days, but to fit in the season's many holy days.Īs home to Vatican City, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, Rome is rich with Christmas's most sacred traditions. I find the holiday season in Rome a joy: crisp air, stylish big-city Italians cupping hot cappuccinos in corner cafés, and hurried shoppers bundled up with panache, thoughtfully pausing at grand manger scenes.
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