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A Holiday Piazza Navona
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Rome - Piazza Navona has forever been the square that transforms itself as of early December into one of the at-least-once must-visit holiday-season destinations for Romans, particularly with children.
The reason is simple: it is tradition that each year each family or child will pick out one new figurine for the family presepio (or nativity scene) that is built at home (more on this in another note!), and Piazza Navona in December has always been a great place to find these terracotta figurines.
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One can also secure a Santa on a rope ladder (left) . . . no chimneys in Italian cities means no roof access hence unnecessary reindeer and sled, ergo extreme-sport wall-scaling Santas which get hung on the outside of apartment windows in town! Plenty of befanas (traditional epiphany old witch) as well (more on this in another note too!), and the "black coal" candy that she carries.
Of course, it is all geared towards the children, who flock here in the evenings dragging their parents from candy stand to merry-go-round to presepe stall, but one can't help but feel the holiday spirit . . maybe it's the kids, or the smell of chestnuts, or maybe it's simply the decorated square or all of these . . regardless, traditions are traditions and this one continues putting smiles on everyone's faces.
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--contributed by GB (see bio), owner of Welcome Home, quality expatriate housing in Rome since 1984.
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