December 2009 Newsletter
The biggest Christmas tree in the World
On 7 December each year, the medieval buildings in Gubbio are lit up by the light of the largest Christmas tree in the world! 7 December is an important day in the Catholic Calendar as it's the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The illuminated tree, at 650m tall, 350m wide and using 12,000m of electric cable and over 500 light bulbs, has deservedly earned its place in the Guinness Book of Records. The spectacle is built on the side of Mount Ingino and stretches from the rooves of the last houses of the town up to Sant'Ubaldo Basilica at the top of the mountain and is visible all across the region.
The first time the lights of the tree were illuminated was in 1980 and nearly 30 years on, this festive feat has become a real symbol of Gubbio appearing on many postcards. Each year a committee of volunteers give up their time freely for almost three months to keep the custom alive in a town steeped in tradition.
Gubbio - Umbria's most medieval town
Gubbio is in the north east of Umbria and is considered one of the most historical towns in all of Italy. During the Bronze Age, the town (then known as Ikuvium) was an important location for the people of Umbria and was made famous in 1444 by the discovery of the Eugubine Tablets. Most likely written between the 3rd and 1st Centuries BC, the 7 Tablets are made from bronze and inscribed with religious script and municipal affairs of the town. They are of great importance to linguists looking to find out more about the ancient Umbrian language. The tablets are held in the Civic Museum inside the Palazzo dei Consoli.
Built in the foothills of the Apennines, the town offers the visitor some breath-taking views across the plains of Umbria, especially on the cable car and at the top of Mount Ingino at the Sant'Ubaldo Basilica. The cable car is not for the weak hearted as it consists of small 'cages' barely large enough for two travellers, but if you've got a head for heights, it's definitely worth a ride (plus it beats all that walking!)
Walking, or we should say running, to the top of the Mount is something that the people of Gubbio take very seriously when it comes to the Festa dei Ceri. This amazing festival involves teams of men carrying huge wooden structures called 'ceri' (candles) from the Palazzo dei Consoli in the centre of the town up the 827m high mountain to the Basilica at the top. Atop each of the ceri is a statue of a different saint. The festival celebrates the Patron Saint of the town (and namesake of the Basilica) Sant'Ubaldo. Although the festival is a competition and the idea is to run as fast as humanly possible, the winner must always be the cerioli who are carrying Sant'Ubaldo and the idea is that they must close the doors of the Basilica before the other Saints (George and Anthony) are able to enter inside.
Gubbio is a beautiful and interesting place to visit full of amazing architecture, history and tradition. When you come to Umbria, you must make time to see this breath-taking place.
Italian Christmas traditions
Italians certainly don't do Chrismas by halves, instead of our measly three days of festivities, they have a full three weeks' worth of celebrations! It starts on 17 December with a period called Novena, a Catholic devotion which involves times of prayer each day including reciting of the Rosary. As in England, young people visit their neighbours to sing carols and also recite Christmas poems. On 22 December families have a special meal which is finished by panettone, a light and fluffy cake originally from Milan. On this same evening, families also bring out what is known as the "Urn of Fate" which is filled with small wrapped presents. The mother takes her turn in the lucky dip first and if someone takes a present with their name on it they get to keep it, otherwise they have to put it back. On the same evening, the family gathers around the nativity scene (one is found in every Italian household at Christmas) to say prayers and recite poems.
We have the Queen's Speech on Christmas day, but the equivalent in Italy is the Pope's Blessing and hundreds of Catholics gather in St Peter's Square in Vatican City to hear their leader.
Presents aren't opened until Epiphany (6 January) and are not delivered by a jolly man with a white beard, but by a hideous (but kind) witch called Befana. The story goes that the Three Wise Men came to her house and asked her the way to Jesus' stable, she did not know but gave them shelter for the night, promising to follow them when she had finished cleaning her house. However, by the time she had finished, the Star in the East had already disappeared and she never found the baby Jesus. She now travels all around the world leaving presents in any household with children in the hope of finding Him. The story is very similar to the Russian tale of Babushka.
The typical dish for Christmas is Cappelletti in Brodo, which is small parcels of pasta with beef inside cooked in a light chicken broth. Followed by roast pork, lamb or chicken, the most usual for Christmas is roast lamb - but no mint sauce for Italians!