Even if you won’t be able to visit Italy next year, here are some ways to bring Italy home for Jubilee 2025.
The Jubilee Year of Hope begins on Christmas Eve, as Pope Francis opens the Holy Doors of St. Peter’s. If you’re one of the 40 million visitors expected to travel to the Eternal City for this extraordinary celebration, the Christmas season provides a great opportunity to start embracing some of Italy’s unique holiday customs ahead of your pilgrimage; customs directly connected the Catholic faith.
Even if you won’t be able to visit Italy next year, it’s not difficult to live a little la dolce vita (the sweet life) by celebrating the coming of our Lord in our hearts and homes, Italian style, with these five very common practices.
As I explain in my forthcoming book, Italy’s Shrines and Wonders: Sacred Spaces, Fascinating Places and Destinations of the Beaten Path, each of Italy’s twenty regions has its own way of applying these traditions that run deep in the Italian culture. However, there is no doubt when traveling to Italy, that Italians are proud of their Catholic heritage and are very eager to show the world how they highlight, the reason for the season, as every effort is connected in some way, shape, or form, to Jesus.
This article first appeared on the National Catholic Register. Click Here to continue reading.
