If in some countries of the world the houses are already full of Christmas lights and decorations, in Italy we start breathing the “Christmas air” from December 8th.
December 8th is in fact the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, a very important moment for the Christian Church. But although Italy is a lay State (the constitution says so!), our traditions are linked to the Catholic religion.
But what is celebrated on December 8th?
On this special day we celebrate the religious dogma – that is, a fundamental and unquestionable principle for believers – in which it was sanctioned that the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, was born and conceived without Original Sin (Immaculate means in fact without blemishes!).
Not like us “normal people”! According to the Christian religion, in fact, all of us arewere born with the sin of Adam and Eve. They were living in a fantastic earthly paradise, and could do everything they wanted and eat everything they wanted, except the Forbidden Fruit (the famous apple). And guess what they decided to taste?
But don’t worry, with the baptismal ceremony, this sin is taken away from all of us!
Let the celebration begin!
The Immaculate Conception started to be celebrated in 1854, the year in which Pope Pius IX approved the dogma.
In 1857, near the Spanish Steps, a monument to the Immaculate Conception was inaugurated, to which every year the Pope brings a wreath of flowers. This tradition is still alive today! If you are in Rome on December 8, around 4 p.m. you can attend the ceremony.
The statue of the Virgin is very high on top of the Marian column.: for this reason, in the past, a wooden structure was built to allow the Pope to reach the statue and place the crown of flowers on its arm. Today, instead, the Pope calls special helpers to carry it on top for him…the firemen!
Not only wreaths of flowers!
Although the celebration has religious origins, for all Italians December 8th represents the beginning of the Christmas period.
It is in fact the day on which the Christmas tree is decorated, the house is filled with lights and decorations, and for those who are Christians, the nativity (italian “presepe”) is prepared.
The only Italian city that anticipates everything by one day is Milan: their patron Saint is Ambrose and is celebrated on the 7th of December 7th. You know, Milan always wants to stand out!
And there are also regions such as Abruzzo, Puglia and Umbria, where in addition to the Christmas tree, great fires are lit. Lighting the bonfire was the symbol of purification and regeneration of the earth to give new fertility.
Do we eat? (in Roman language: “Se magna”?)
Definitely yes, December 8th is also the first day in which “binge” is licit, and probably necessary!
From “torrone” (nougat) to “panettone”, from “pandoro” to “frittelle” (fritter), in every region you can smell the smell of Christmas sweets in the streets and see them in the shops.
If you want to live an all-Italian holiday, here are the things to do: decorate your home, bake cookies, open the first panettone of the winter, prepare a hot chocolate and enjoy all the relaxation of your decorated home.
Have you ever celebrated the Immaculate Conception?
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