Christmas in Italy is one of my favorite times. The windows are decorated, children are all excited, Christmas lights twinkle along the streets and everything seems a bit more festive. There is no such thing as black Friday here, so no one is getting trampled a month before, and no one is afraid to say 'Merry Christmas' to strangers. In fact, not saying Merry Christmas when one is leaving is considered rude to some [or so I am told].
Most cities in Europe go the extra mile [or kilometer] when getting ready for Christmas and the Epiphany. Not only do Italian cities and towns line the streets and piazze with lights and Christmas trees, but markets spring up all over the place. These markets sell anything from holiday gifts, kitchen accessories, teas, candies, soaps, etc… Vin Brule and bombarding can be found everywhere, as well as hot chocolate and torrone!
I was fortunate enough to venture to several Christmas Markets this year [Verona, Trento, Brixen, Udine, and Hamburg]
Vicenza
Vicenza doesn't really have a formal Christmas Market per se. A few wooden stalls stay open for the weeks leading up to the Epiphany and then on the weekends white tents appear and vendors sell additional treats, toys and goods. They did, however, have a great light display! Piazza die Signori had lights strung from the top of the clock tower to the facades of the surrounding buildings and Corso Palladio was lit up from end to end. Even Teatro Olimpico joined in the fun and strung lights from its tower.
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| December and he is wearing shorts |
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| Creeper |
Trento and Bressanone [Brixen]
I went on an ODR trip with my friend Lesley to visit the markets in Trento and Brixen. The first stop was Brixen, which is more north of Trento. It is a cute town in Südtirol where people speak German first and Italian second. The stalls sell Glühwein [instead of vin brule] pretzels, and other German related items. It is pretty much little Germany within Italy. The market was small, but really nice, and the town was also small but very cute. Red balls hung from the bare trees while a little alpini band played Christmas songs. We were also able to visit the Cathedral and watch a dancing/singing Santa with his reindeer.
Our next stop was Trento. PJ and I visited Trento last year with my cousin Caroline, however it was much different seeing it during the day. There were several markets spread throughout the city and we made our way to the two larger ones. The city is pretty and much larger than Brixen. There are lots of restaurants, shops and sights to see. After doing some browsing and sipping on vin brule, we headed to dinner at a delicious restaurant called Forsterbräu and then made our way to the bus back home. It was a fun trip!
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