There is no event more awaited than Christmas: one of the most important anniversaries of our country, celebrated all over the world and loved by everyone!

But what is Christmas? The feast of Christmas was born as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but like every day of Party, has its tradition behind it, which we carry on to this day.

One of the main values of this anniversary is the union, represented by the gifts that are used to be carried during this special day: gifts that in ancient times began to be given to children to remember the birth of Jesus as a moment of joy.

The much-felt "Babbo Natale" or "Santa Claus" comes from a woven and very ancient history: in the fourth century, it was called St. Nicholas, which according to tradition saved three girls from a future of exploitation, giving them bags of gold that allowed them to get married. Today St. Nicholas has turned into what we know today as Santa Claus: depicted as an old man with a kind soul, dressed in red, with a thick beard and white hair who, on the night of December 24, goes around all the houses of the world to bring gifts to children, riding a sled pulled by magical reindeer.

Some celebrate it on the night of December 24th with a dinner, waiting for midnight to open the presents, and some celebrate it on the morning of the 25th, with a lunch; what is certain is that the tables are full of traditional dishes of the day: a strongly felt dish is pasta or baked rice, which can be replaced by lentils, lasagna or tortellini in broth. On the night of Eve, however, it is often distinguished from Christmas lunch, as the tables are often enriched with fish dishes: scallops, fried anchovies, mackerel, salmon, or shrimp. Pandoro and panettone are the typical Christmas desserts, whose tradition has been going on since the Middle Ages: that of celebrating this day with a richer bread than usual.

In several traditions, there is a particularly popular custom: the Midnight Mass, also called the 'Christmas Mass' or 'Angel Mass'. This is a recurring custom since the fourth century of the night of Christmas Eve, in honor of the nativity of Jesus, traditionally starting from midnight. This mass, in the city of Marsala, takes place every year, and the most historic and heartfelt takes place inside the mother church in Piazza della Repubblica, where, every year, there is also a crib. Come and enjoy the joy of Christmas in Marsala!