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| Spectacular Christmas trees are a feature in southern Italy |
There will be special masses taking place in churches in Sorrento over the weekend as residents and visitors join together to celebrate the official beginning of the Christmas season.
Il giorno dell’immacolata concezione (the day of the immaculate conception) has been celebrated for centuries in Italy on 8 December.
It is an official festa (feast day) when the immaculate conception of Jesus is celebrated in the Christian calendar. It also marks the start of the Christmas season when the lights and trimmings go up.
Most of the shops in Sorrento will be open as usual and doing a brisk trade as many people will be out doing their Christmas shopping.
As in many other countries across the world, Christmas shopping actually begins earlier than 8 December in Italy, with Christmas trees, lights and decorations starting to go up during November.
But Sorrento’s Corso Italia and the popular shopping street Via San Cesareo will be thronged with activity from now until Christmas Eve.
Buona Festa!
