Christmas is Coming

Christmas arrived in Magenta today: we have over the last few weeks seen the lights go up and be switched on, decorations appear in shop windows and the children have been learning various Christmas songs at school however it has all been fairly muted with Iper the local supermarket only smothering the shop floor with Christmas goods during the last fortnight.
The Garden Centre has been set up for the last 2 months with the most complete display of Christmas decorations I have ever seen. Rooms are themed according to colour to start with, all fairly predictable: White, Silver, Gold, Red, Cream/ Coffee with Espresso and Cappuccino mug bauble available at a trifling €13 a piece. A blue fish theme threw me slightly, but plenty of Christmas animals seem covered such as Polar Bears, Owls, Penguins, so why not fish? American decorations are popular with Fabulous Las Vegas, New York, Simpsons, Betty Boop and Coca Cola baubles all available at a price.
But the real excess comes in the Nativity Scene department. Whole walls are given over to the Nativity, where, not content with a manger the whole town of Bethlehem is depicted in various sizes, and numerous houses, animals, characters and pizza ovens with flickering lights can be bought. Not wishing to be out done I have added to my piccolo manger by purchasing 2 Roman Centurions who seem integral to any Christmas story here. I also want a pizza oven as now I am firmly of the opinion that Christmas in Bethlehem wasn’t Christmas without its own pizza oven (yes I know that Christmas was more likely to have been in September due to the census etc, and that it is a hi-jacked pagan festival).
The arrival of Christmas here was a fairly formal affair, Banda Civica marched along via Garibaldi to the piazza, where having circumnavigated the ice rink they set up opposite the nativity scene that has been built complete with water feature but minus an all important pizza oven or Roman centurion. The band then proceeded to take us through some well worn classics such as Jingle Bells, I’m dreaming of a White Christmas and the First Noel. The square was packed, the ice rink was surrounded by on lookers. Closer inspection of the ice skaters revealed that they were covered in make-up and glitter, and seemed highly inappropriately dressed for the weather. Some pseudo professionals had hit the ice. Wandering over to the nativity scene we were stopped by barriers. Clearly there was going to be an official opening of the manger. Just as this was getting boring Don Mario our main priest of Magenta rushed up and was ushered onto main stage. He apologised for being late, unusual I thought given nothing starts on time here, but further explained he had hot-footed it straight from a Baptism. This is better than an official opening; we had a blessing on our hands. The Don gave a quick speech/sermon and then we all made the sign of the Cross, recited a quick Our Father, a Preghiamo (let us pray) and we were done. Christmas was officially here in Magenta. We had a bag of hot chestnuts to celebrate and went to watch the ice skaters who Tangoed, Bohemian Rhapsodied, Can canned and Flamingoed their way around the ice.
We have put our lights up around the balcone and I have lights in my olive tree which is very exciting.
The weather has turned itself down a few more degrees again, with frosty mornings and sunshine. The Fur Coats are out with a vengeance. Its big coat weather here from now on and snow is forecast for next week. Whether it arrives is another matter but it’s on its way. Hooray.