Our first Christmas in Italy: Embracing Italian Traditions and Culture

Ciao!

I’ve finally found a moment to share a bit about what my first Christmas here in Italy was like. I can definitely say it was a unique experience — it was my first time spending Christmas away from my family.

This was not only my first Christmas far from my family, but also the first one together with my wife Isabela here in Italy. We decided to hit the road and head to Umbria to visit Gubbio — a town with just over 30,000 residents, built almost entirely out of stone. Because it has preserved its medieval look dating back to the 13th century, Gubbio is considered one of the most beautiful medieval towns in the world! Walking through its narrow streets made me feel like I was in an episode of Game of Thrones!.

Gubbio is also famous throughout Italy for its Christmas decorations. It’s home to the “World’s Largest Christmas Tree,” according to the Guinness World Records. The tree stands over 750 meters tall and is set up on the slope of a mountain (check out the photo up there!). It took around 1,300 hours — over 54 days! — to put it all together, and the entire project was carried out by volunteers. Another cool fact: all the energy used to light up the tree comes from renewable sources.

Besides the tree, we also had the chance to walk through the San Martino quarter, where we saw a life-sized Nativity scene up close. At the entrance, a quote from Pope Benedict XVI invited us to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas:

“Let us allow ourselves to be surprised, to be illuminated by the Star that filled the universe with joy. As He comes to us, may the Baby Jesus not find us unprepared, focused only on making the external world more beautiful.”

After walking through the Nativity scene streets, we headed to the Piazza Grande, where — like in almost every Italian town this time of year — we found the traditional Christmas Market (Mercatino di Natale), with lots of little stalls selling local products and plenty of delicious food!

I'm always amazed by the sheer variety of local products you find around here — each with its own unique flavors and production methods tied to specific little towns. In other words, you can only really experience them by actually being there. That said, we chose not to eat too much at the market because Isabela wanted to prepare a special Christmas dinner for us at home — but of course, we couldn't leave without picking up a few salami and cheeses to try later, right?

And since it was a bit chilly — around 46°F (about 8°C) — we decided to just try some vin brulé (hot mulled wine) and a few roasted chestnuts fresh out of the oven. The best part? Everything was served by an elf!

Beyond the local products, the atmosphere of the Mercatino di Natale is truly something else — it’s hard to put into words. If you ever find yourself in Italy during the holiday season, make sure to visit at least one of these Christmas markets. It’s definitely worth the experience! 😉

And… after spending a few hours there, we decided it was time to start heading back home — but not without picking up a Christmas ornament to hang on our tree (just a little smaller than the one we saw in Gubbio, haha).

Arrivederci!