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Christmas is one of the most characteristic festivals of both Italian tradition and Christian culture. The birth of Christ is celebrated as the symbolic renewal of the world. In antiquity, the Christmas season coincided with the Saturnalia, rituals with a carnival atmosphere that were actually propitiatory winter festivals. The Christian festival that replaced them has a universal significance, and is celebrated with different customs in various cultures. In Italy, Christmas is mainly a family celebration. There is an exchange of gifts, echoing the presentation of offerings to the baby Jesus according to religious tradition, and every home has a model of the Nativity scene. In this way, each family becomes part of a world that renews itself symbolically by celebrating Christmas and the myth of the birth of the baby Jesus. |
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