During my time in Italy, I got to celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a holiday celebrated all over the world. It is also my favorite holiday so celebrating it in Italy was a real treat. Lights are strung up all around the city in beautiful and festive designs. There are also numerous Christmas markets where vendors set up booths, and locals purchase freshly cooked food, baked goods and handmade gifts. Originally, Christmas was a Christian holiday created to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Today, I will tell you about another religious holiday I learned about in Florence.
La Festa della Rificolona, or the Festival of the Lanterns happens every year on September 7. To begin the festival, people from all over Florence gather in the streets and walk with handmade lanterns to Piazza Santissima Annunziata, a public square in the center of Florence. The event ends when the parade of lantern-bearing people arrives at the square. As part of the celebration, children take turns trying to blow out each other’s lanterns by blowing spit wads at them. The Festival of the Lanterns is a favorite tradition for local children, as they get to stay out late with their friends eating, dancing and watching live performances.
