Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!

Buongiorno a tutti. I hope that you are all looking forward to Christmas and are almost finished your preparations! For this special Christmas blog I would love to share with you some interesting Sicilian Christmas images that I have come across recently.

This first photo was taken in the town of Viagrande, around 20 km from Catania. It features the balcony decorations of Giuseppe Sorbello, a local Fiat 500 enthusiast who loves his car collection so much that he has incorporated them into his Christmas! This is truly a 'Sicilian style' Christmas!

 

 

The second image is following on from last month's blog post about Christmas Nativities and is actually of an underwater Nativity Scene in the depths of the Tyrrhenian Sea close to Mondello.

 

 

This amazing spectacle by Giuseppe Benardo is the result of a collaboration with the local Sea Club, Rotary Club and Theatre 'del Sole' and will be underwater until the 6th January 2013. This Nativity Scene will also be visible at night thanks to a beautiful light installation which lights up the entire sea bed for all to see.

 

Sicilian cart made of chocolate - Cioccolart Sicily

For the chocolate lovers out there, you will be pleased to hear that there will also be a festival in Taormina dedicated to the art of chocolate! The second edition of the Cioccolato Sicily festival will take place at the 'Chiesa del Carmine' from the 20th December until the 6th January and features a beautiful exhibition of chocolate sculptures. There will even be tasting sessions, Christmas markets and a competition for the best chocolate cake!

 

Christmas in Palermo 2012





So, as you can see, there are many wonderful things to visit around the island of Sicily throughout the Christmas period. From the more traditional Nativity scenes of Caltagirone as mentioned in November's blog, to the 'not-so-traditional' aspects as shown here.

 

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas wherever you are in the world and a very healthy and happy new year. Thank you so much for your continued support thoughout 2012 - it has been a pleasure, as always, to receive your wonderful stories and photos and I hope that you will keep them coming throughout 2013.

 

Buon Natale!

 

Debra Santangelo

www.sicilianconnections.com

 

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