The autumn smells already herald the warmth and Christmas atmosphere: the joy of being at home with the family, the smell of the fireplace and chocolate, the cold outside and us protected by the walls of our homes. So autumn becomes the spokesperson for the holidays and in most of us there is a growing desire to start decorating houses and exteriors to feel that festive air closer., just as we are seized by the desire to go in search of gifts and thoughts for our loved ones. But very often we hold back in starting the arduous task of decorating in the first months of autumn, to avoid getting ahead of schedule too much: then let's insert some details as gods christmas flowers like the typical Christmas star in its splendid red colour, a character who will go to the nativity scene, a bell hanging in the hall. However, some often give in to the frenzy of decorating in the month of November, but it's fair to ask: de facto, There really is a right time or day to decorate your home for Christmas?
Italian tradition wants this day to be on December 8th, when the Immaculate Conception is celebrated and the beginning of the Christmas period is inaugurated: on this day most Italians decorate theirChristmas tree and starts setting up the nativity scene, which will be prepared throughout the month until the night of 24 December when after midnight the newborn Jesus will be placed in the cradle.
Stay close to traditions.
The Italian Christmas tradition has ancient roots and is divided into two: on the one hand the religious legacy of the state that hosts the Pope is very strong and in most houses a nativity scene depicting the nativity scene is set up, but the secular tradition of the Christmas tree decorated with lights and colored balls has long been rooted. In fact, very often these two traditional customs merge and the atmosphere of Italian homes is flooded by the sacredness of the nativity scene and at the same time by the joy and harmony of the Christmas fir tree.. If the tradition of the nativity scene is easily connected to the religious history of the birth of Baby Jesus 25 December then it is fair to ask ourselves when the desire to decorate the tree reached our homes. The first in Italian history to inaugurate this tradition was Regina Margherita, around the end of 1800 and from that moment the fashion spread throughout the peninsula.
Creative ideas that do not abandon traditional roots
Certainly over time the pillars represented by the fir tree and the nativity scene have not been abandoned, but in recent times the desire for creativity to be applied to these two traditions has become stronger. In fact, you can indulge yourself especially when it comes to decorations and baubles to place on the Christmas tree: those who remain fond of the red and gold blown glass balls can enrich their fir tree with modern and sparkling lights with an infinite variety of tones and alternations; Those who want to create can fill the tree with photos of family members, loved ones, friends and relatives to make this time of year even warmer and more affectionate.
Very often the decorations, for those who have a house that lends itself to large spaces, they are also extended to the fireplace, to the chandeliers and doors: gold festoons are attached, mistletoe and garlands of butcher's broom and fir, colored pine cones or not, small elements are inserted into the domestic environment which, in the corners of the house, herald the arrival of the Christmas days. In a modern way, however, one could think of setting up a simple nativity scene, with a few characters and perhaps instead of the traditional painted ceramic statuettes you could think of characters carved in wood depicted in a simple and artisanal way; just as the fir can be replaced by a composition of branches enriched by
moss, colorful balls and fairy lights in abundance, flowers with warm colors that can make the atmosphere magical, to place in decorated vases or simply in the center of the table. These are just some of the many possible ideas and certainly adaptable to the creativity of each individual person. What is certain is that in Italian homes the warmth of Christmas will always be represented by the main symbols of the tree and the
nativity scene but also by the numerous details that often go into the background: candles, colored trays filled with chocolates, references to snow, palline decorative, Checked tablecloths with colors that recall warmth and celebration.
Every element of the house is enriched with sensations linked to the Christmas celebration and objects that have been entrusted with that specific meaning are taken out of the wardrobes. It doesn't mean that you necessarily have to overdo it or exaggerate to get that right atmosphere, as mentioned before, even modern simplicity can achieve fantastic results; but definitely what matters, with many ed
exaggerated decorations or with pure simplicity, it is the love that each of us puts into the gestures with which we take care of the house and the decorations, it is the serenity he seeks in those small objects and the joy he hopes to evoke in those he hosts during the holidays.
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