Read on for holiday highlights and sights from around Bologna.
Italians don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but they do recognize All Saints Day on November 1st. We started to see signs of the Christmas season first thing on November 2nd. Here are a few highlights of the holidays, Bolognese-style.
1. Portici decorated for Christmas:
Here are three I walk under or past on my way to school on swimming days
2. Nettuno gets a Christmas Tree:
This year's tree came from a part of the region on the border with Tuscany, it was at the end of its life and needed to come down. It got a very fancy last hurrah! Christmas trees and a red and white Santa who brings presents on Christmas are all post World War II American imports.
3. Presepi:
This tradition dates back about 800 years. Churches and some community organizations and businesses set up Nativity scenes. Some are personalized for the group setting them up (see the San Luca one below features itself on the hill to the left).
4. Lights all over town:
Each neighborhood of the historic center in Bologna had it's own special set of lights. The second one shown here is from our back yard, on via Riva di Reno.
5. The Mercatini di Santa Lucia:
You can come feel come Christmas spirit here, under the portici of the chiesa Santa Lucia. This year we picked up brightly colored sicilian marzipan fruits, tasty fritelle di castagne, pancake-shaped chestnut flour fritters (naturally gluten and dairy free!), and local lambswool socks. This is also a great place to get pieces for your personal Presepio, figurines come in all sizes. 16 years ago, we got ourselves a dormiglione, or sleeping shepherd.
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