From stomach-crushing lunch to Made in China Christmas balls, sometimes it all seems obvious. But why give up? Let us curb the gift-giving tension, get off the wagon of forced happiness and let us stop and reflect on the tractions of Christmas. Our Christmas. Making it tender, magical and unique depends above all on us. Let's try to think about what we know about this holiday, given to us by the parents and, first, by the grandparents. And all that we still don't know?
Songs, markets, traditions but also many curiosities about Christmas and the nice old man with a white beard
Traditions, news, ancient roots, curiosities: get to know the Christmas it also means living it better.
Come with me, then, in this behind-the-scenes blitz of the best party of the year.
What is the story of the most poignant Christmas melodies?
You come down from the stars was composed in 1754 by Sant Alfonso Maria de Liguori and it is also called "pastoral" because it is linked to the sound of the bagpipe of the Abruzzese shepherds.
To contend with the primacy of song of the Christmas tradition is the equally classic Astro del Ciel. The original German title is Silent Night, "Silent night". The music was composed on Christmas Eve 1818 by an organist from Oberndorf, near Salzburg, Franz Xaver Gruber. The song, known for a long time as the "song descended from heaven", since its origin was not known, soon conquered the whole world. The Italian version, while keeping the melody intact, is not a translation of the original but a text written, it seems, by the Bergamo priest Angelo Meli.
Attention, we also have a third rival, Jingle Bells, centered on the tender ringing of a sled e written in 1857 by American composer and songwriter James Pierpont. It was the first to be sung in space: on December 16, 1965 it was sung by the two astronauts aboard the Gemini 6 spacecraft, helped by the first musical instrument played in orbit, a string with bells hanging, now exhibited at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Virginia.
Christmas between stalls and delicacies
Wooden houses, stalls, lights, scents, flavors and warmth start from afar: of the first dedicated event, the San Nicola, patron of children, it has been known since the 1434th century in Alsace. And the document that officially certifies a market on the Monday before Christmas in Dresden dates back to XNUMX. He was called Striezel market and the typical German fried sweets similar to our crostoli, note the Striezel, were sold there.
Over time, the charming gastronomy houses, typical products, artists and artisans have also taken root in Italy, starting with Trentino Alto Adige.
Wedding under the tree
Santa Claus beats Valentine's Day 1 to 0. Strange, but true. Several recent studies have revealed how the majority of engaged couples believe that the most suitable day for a marriage proposal, by tradition, is Christmas Eve. Or, at best, New Year's Eve.
The percentage of those who reserve the right to declare themselves on the following February 14, a date that is perhaps too commercial, is really low. If, therefore, we have an important story and under the tree we see a small little package, who knows maybe .. it contains a diamond!
Yes, Santa Claus exists ..
Does your child have doubts about the existence of the nice "gentleman in red"? To reassure him, we can ask for inspiration from the beautiful text now imprinted in indelible letters in the Christmas tradition of the United States, starting with the famous: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", that is: "Yes Virginia, Santa Claus exists".
What is the story of Santa Claus?
In 1897 an 8-year-old girl, Virginia, wrote a letter to the New York Sun, an important newspaper of the time, asking to clarify her doubts on the matter. In fact, her father had assured her that everything the newspaper said had to be considered true.
And in an unsigned editorial that remained famous, full of poetry, the child was reassured: “Yes, Virginia, Santa Claus exists. It exists as love, generosity and devotion exist, and you know they abound to give your life beauty and joy. Heaven, how sad the world would be if Santa Claus didn't exist! ”.
But where does Santa Claus live?
Tracing the exact path of Santa Claus during his journey around the world to bring gifts to all the children, since the departure from Napapijri, a hamlet of Rovaniemi, near the North Pole, it's not easy. The Norad, US-Canadian Aerospace Defense Agency. The program, financed exclusively by private sponsorships, is active thanks to the tireless work of volunteers, military and civilians, who take turns to answer incoming calls from around 200 countries from all over the world. Talking to children who want to know where their favorite is at that moment, they are often also excellent operators: Michelle Obama, for example, was there both in 2011 and in 2012. It is possible to follow the path of Santa Christmas also on the Internet and on Social Networks.
Here Santa Claus is there!
And now that we know more about it Santa Claus, let's spend some time with him.
Its official home, a Rovaniemi, in Lapland, is far away, but now also in Italy we will find excellent outbuildings. After Halloween, Valentin day and Black Friday, even in new Christmas Villages they come from overseas and are consumerist places, why deny it? For once, however, why not turn a blind eye and dive into a whirlwind of dreams, tenderness, fun, with a mouth full of sweets and maybe even skates on your feet?
The excuse is that there are children, but even if we don't have them we will be able to let ourselves be carried away by the moment and take a selfie cheek to cheek with Santa Claus: here they are everyone and no one will spy. If you're not too picky, even a crafted magic can warm our hearts. But where can we go to find the "gentleman in red"?
Here are some good ideas ..
In the mythical Santa's House in Candela (Foggia) the elves, very small and smiling, will come to take us to the Fairy of the woods who will reveal all the secrets of the polar winter.
While in the Santa's house his wife prepares her delicious sweets. The alleys of the center have magically transformed into a big one crib and in the shops you can find the characteristic products of the local Monti Dauni.
Not at all Rovaniemi! There are those who argue that the Super Santa Claus you actually live in the fairy-tale Parco Acqua Santa: the little ones can go and browse in his hut to give him their letter and then stalls, ice rink, the gigantic Advent calendar, the Christmas Arrow train. Watch out only for the mischief of the Grinch elf.
Shows, parades, nativity scenes and dioramas, indoor markets, the Path of sweets. All around the amazing Santa's Grotto, obtained in an underground quarry from which the marble for the Milan Cathedral was also extracted: walking 200 meters of the gallery you reach the Marble hall, where the magical Old Man is surrounded by "twergi" , the elves pranksters of the mountain.
