The holiday season officially starts on December 8th which is the day of the Virgin Mary and it runs all the way to Three Kings’ Day on January 6th.
Genoa welcomes the Christmas festivities with many events: food tastings, markets, musical events and much more. The traditional St. Nicholas market is eagerly awaited by all Genoese people, and this year it celebrates its 31st edition. After having changed several locations in the past, for this edition it returns to Piazza Piccapietra, Genoa’s main square.
St. Nicholas’ market is the only market in Italy run by a non-profit organization, where everything sold or produced is local: food, music, entertainment, craftsmanship and solidarity coexist, for a total of over 60 stands. As always, the Genoa football teams also take part in the solidarity Christmas, giving away some jerseys autographed by the players who are always offered as prizes in the market’s lottery to raise money for local charity projects.
St. Nicholas’ market in Genoa
But there is no Christmas without a tree and, on Sunday 8th of December, in the late afternoon, the Christmas tree lighting ceremony will be back in Piazza De Ferrari, which will officially kick off the festivities and the holiday events.
Also unmissable is the appointment with the great Christmas fair that takes place for the first time at the Porto Antico, the old harbor.
For the occasion, the old harbor will be transformed into a real Christmas village full of gift ideas and delicacies from all Italian regions.
It is a great shopping opportunity also enhanced by the opportunities for recreation in the area: from the big Ferris wheel to the ice skating rink, and also the timeless Bigo elevator and the Città dei Bambini children museum.
There is also a Christmas fair at the Old Harbor
The Christmas Bazaar, organized by the American International Women´s Club, donates the money made through the sale of the items displayed to charitable and philanthropic works in the Genoa area. You can find food specialties made in the United States, vintage items and clothes, books, original decorations and Christmas baskets, a flea market, accessories and trinkets and many other original Christmas gifts.
Santa Claus this year decided to move to his beach house in Rapallo, in the splendid setting of the Portofino promontory and it’s possible to visit his house and have children take pictures with him in this wonderful setting.
As per tradition, the ceremony of Cunfögu is organized by the Municipality and it is a very dear event to the people of Genoa who are waiting to see the direction that the flame will take this year. First there will be the grouping of the historical formation, then a procession accompanied by the sound of the local band. Finally there will be a lighting of the auspicious fire.
The tradition of this Ligurian event dates back to the time of the Republic of Genoa.
Every year, the Sunday before Christmas, a ceremony is organized to pay homage to the mayor with Christmas wishes.
At the end of the event it is customary to set up in the center of the ancient "old square" a large bonfire. Tradition has it that if the flames fed by leaves and laurel branches rise straight towards the sky, the arrival of a good new year is shaping up.
