When Christmas comes to the Italian countryside, the smell of a wood fire lingers in the cold night air. In the evening, we can hear the owls call to each other, a sing-song marking their territory. Starting on December 8th, we can see the “biggest Christmas tree in the world” illuminating the flank of the Gubbio hillside in the distance.

Christmas in Italy is a special time, given that most people are Catholic and everyone celebrates the traditions of the season in a similar way. The best part of Christmas in Italy is that it lasts much longer than in most other places. Festivities last from the 8th of December until the 6th of January, the Feast of the Epiphany.