Christmas is nearly upon us once more and we hope you might be one of the lucky ones planning to head for Il Bel Paese!
Those of you who’ve spent the festive period in Italy before will know what to expect. For those of you who haven’t, you may find it totally different to what you’re used to.
As befits the country where December 25 first became a Christian festival thanks to Emperor Constantine in the fourth century AD. The Italian Yuletide spans the entire 12 days of Christmas, from Christmas Eve to Epiphany on January 6, the date on which presents are traditionally exchanged. However, the streets usually start to flicker with decorations as early as December 8, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception.

One of the most spectacular displays is in Turin, where more than 12 miles are brilliantly lit up from late November to the first week of January. But one display that, if anything, tops that is on Monte Ingino overlooking Gubbio, Umbria, where a giant Christmas tree half a mile high lies on the hillside.
The 450-light display and star that sits atop it are switched on on December 7 and are visible from Perugia 30 miles away. Unsurprisingly, it’s in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s biggest Christmas tree.

Other unique attractions are in Città di Castello, Umbria, where on Christmas Eve, well-wishers in Santa Claus outfits canoe along the Tiber before handing gifts to children. In the ski resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Veneto, meanwhile, midnight on Christmas Eve sees a torchlight procession of skiers gliding down the Alpine slopes. Another eye-catching Christmas Eve torchlight parade is in Abbadia di San Salvatore, between the province of Grosseto and Siena, near Montalcino, Tuscany.

A much more common sight across Italy at Christmas time are presepi, exquisite nativity scenes, on display in almost every major piazza and church and of which Italians are fiercely competitive. Neapolitans will tell you Naples has the country's most impressive selection, especially on Via San Gregorio Armeno in the centre of the city.
At this time of year, a large proportion of visitors to Italy head for Rome, which has displays of its own in Piazza Navona, Piazza del Popolo (with presepi from around the world), Piazza Euclide, Santa Maria in Trastevere and one in St Peter's Square in the nearby Vatican.

Something else you may spot in Rome is zampognari and pifferai, bagpipers and flute players from the Abruzzo region who don sheepskin vests, long socks and cloaks to entertain crowds. St Peter's Square is also host to the Pope's midnight mass on Christmas Eve, which even the non-religious may appreciate for the sheer sense of occasion.

Food, naturally, plays a large part in celebrations, with baccala (salted dried cod fish), pasta, turkey and panettone bread staple parts of the Christmas dinner. By the way, if you find yourself as guests of a traditionally Catholic family, many of them refrain from eating meat on Christmas Eve.