Christmas in Italy (Part 1)

Christmas time is magical for so many reasons. I think in general, it's because of the Spirit of Christ that everyone desires to be more loving, more charitable, and more grateful at this time of year. Therefore, at this time more than any other I. Miss. Italy.

I've tried to explain my feelings to others and it is difficult to say the least.
Nevertheless these are a few of the reasons I feel Christmas reminds me of Italy.

My first Christmas I spent in Gorizia,

a small city on the border of Slovenia that most Italians haven't even heard of.

Something I really enjoyed about my Italian Christmases was spending Christmas Eve at Midnight Mass. It was so cool! I had been to mass before but being there on Christmas Eve, choir in the back balcony, the acoustics, the incense, the culture of it all was so so so neat. Its something you've got to experience for yourself and I am so glad our mission president encouraged us to do that.

The following year, I spent most of the month of December in Ferrara/Bologna as well as Milano so here are some memories from those cities as well. Mostly how they decorate the cities.

(ABOVE) This is what the street looked like that we would walk through (or bike through) to our apartment.

(BELOW) We also did some caroling in Bologna

(ABOVE) So my last Christmas was in Milano

(BELOW) Just to give you an idea of how large this Christmas Tree is

Here is something else...seriously, magical...Click HERE
The castle in Milano gets all decorated with Christmas lights and they change the design each year just a bit...but this was the year I saw it...and maybe even the day I saw it..so it has a special place in my heart.