I arrived in Italy a year ago this morning. I would hardly say that I had this anniversary in mind—it was more a coincidental realization as I noted that the weather today was as soggy as the day I first arrived. So when I looked up my old flight itinerary (back when we all used to fly), I found that indeed, I’d boarded an Alitalia A330 on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack and landed early the following morning at a chilly Fiumicino Airport.
I remember stifling a laugh as I watched the Italian landscape grown larger underneath me as the plane touched down at dawn. I had no idea what my time in Italy would hold, but I did know that everything about this new chapter in my life felt right: the new job, getting better acquainted with this countryside, and yes the food. The only thing that was missing was any trace of Italian language capacity. That, I figured, would be the biggest challenge to be faced in the year to come.
That’s what I thought: learning Italian would be my biggest challenge for 2020.
Well, to quote one American comedian, “I know…. I’m in the future also.”
This time last year, none of us could have foreseen what 2020 would bring…. but somehow, here we all are: We now stepping into shops to see what kind of facemasks might make a nice Christmas gift. We drop everything to dip our noses into a Yankee Candle should the slightest suggestion of flu-like symptoms arise. And the latest has me reading with delight about a 90-year-old British woman who’s just received a vaccine.
It’s been quite a twelve months.
I was too jetlagged to appreciate it last year, but the 8th of December is a public holiday in Italy. In the Roman Catholic calendar, today is the Feast of Immaculate Conception—and it is also the day where most Italians put up their Christmas trees. Me, I needed to feel festive sooner rather than later so I got out my big stepladder last Friday and raided my apartment’s storage space.
My Christmas tree, a fake stick purchased years ago at 90% off at the Ocean State Job Lot, went up in a flash. I put together a Christmas music playlist (heavy on Motown tunes and Vince Guaraldi) and found that after about 30 minutes, my apartment was ready for the holidays. And now, since I couldn’t wait until 8 December, I had some spare time on my hands.
Similar to most of the planet, there are restrictions on what we can all do to celebrate this year. Limited group activities, curfews at 10pm and restaurants shutting down at 6pm means that we’re all having to rethink the holidays. My passport might be devoid of any new stamps this year, but that’s okay. I am learning to change the scale of my exploration. Even at Christmas.
I decided that today, despite the rain, I’d wander across the city to check out the state of Christmas anticipation.
As with most outings in Rome, it is best to start with only a vague objective. Google Maps is a guide, but your street choices are ultimately determined by the things that look the most interesting. For me, it was seeking any trace of Christmas decorations. A few nights before I flew to Rome from the America, I sat on a good friend’s couch as we watched Hallmark Christmas Specials—appreciating the ridiculousness of each one. “Christmas In Rome” came on and it was no exception to the absurdity. My friend told me that when I arrived in Rome, I’d need to provide a full report on whether the city lived up to the Hallmark Dream.
It does, but in its own authentic, Roman way.
We cut across Villa Borghese and opted to head towards the Spanish Steps. Usually this place is jammed with people, but 2020 has turned it into something of a photographer’s dream. Precious few folks are around, and these days you’ve got carabinieri making the rounds to ensure everyone is wearing their face masks properly. And they are serious about it. Someone was stopped as we walked down the largely deserted steps.
From the steps we turned left and headed towards what was a small crowd in front of the statue of the Immaculate Conception (I swear this was not planned). It was adorned with numerous floral tributes, to include a bouquet on the arm of the Virgin Mary sitting atop the pillar. The column was erected by the city’s firefighters, and in addition to the wreath, each year they present a flour bouquet that reads SPQR at the bottom.
Furthermore, each year on 8 December the Pope visits for a modest ceremony. I remember reading a few days earlier that due to COVID, he would not be making a visit. When I got home from my walk, I read that indeed he did make the journey—Francesco just did it at 7am while the city was busy getting doused by its emblematic goccioloni—these huge strong rain drops.
The rain pounded Rome for much of today—just as it has been doing for the past week. While this did not make for amazing walking weather, I did just spend 4 years living in London (the rain is quite different- but it does teach you to shake off the elements).
The darkness of the rainy day made the lights and festive colors stand out all the more. The foul weather also encourage a bit of ducking in and out of shops to do a bit of shopping (and the economy could use the boost). We came upon the never dull Pantheon and ducked into the Tazza d’Oro for a caffeine hit. This place reminds me of the New Year’s I spent here with my brother and father a few years back—again in the time before masks were as mandatory as bras. The bar and even the surrounding area was largely empty. I couldn’t’ decide if it was the rotten weather, COVID, the public holiday or all three.
From the Pantheon, it is not long to get to Piazza Venezia—the spot where the tree was put up. Having been sponsored the past two years by Netflix, this year the city had to self-fund it. Honestly I couldn’t imagine 2020 without some sort of tree in Rome so selfishly I’m glad that they dipped into the coffers.
Due to its positioning at the center of Piazza Venezia (where cars zip around in a circle), it is virtually impossible to get up close for a look. Still, when we arrived the sky was nice enough to take a break from the sideways rain; the sun even came out for a photo opportunity. The sampietrini bathed in rainwater made for a nice foregraound against the Altare della Patria. The fir tree looked wonderful, and furthermore, it looked nothing like the massive Charlie Brown-looking tree that was installed three years ago and nicknamed Spelacchio or “baldy”.
Tonight the mayor of Rome, Viriginia Raggi, hosted a live-streaming event to light the city’s Christmas Tree. You can relive the unremarkable viewing at the 17:30 mark at this link—but to me, the best part of this video is the title: “La magia di Spelacchio” or “The magic of Spelacchio”. The fact is that Rome’s follow-on Christmas trees have not looked so horrible in the following years, but the Roman people have still chosen to carry on with the Spelacchio moniker. A stark contrast to the Roman Empire….Spelacchio has still managed to find its place in the history books.
Celebrating the spirit of Spelacchio also seems to be just right for Christmas 2020. It has not been a pretty year, but it’s one that should be remembered and held aloft. The holidays might not look the way we are accustomed, but there is still a sort of badge of honor to be worn in running with what we’ve got. My walk today was wonderful for all of the reasons that I didn’t expect. It got me in the Christmas spirit even through the observance of new traditions, and it made me feel grateful for the year that has just zipped by.
No guesses for how crappy my Italian will still be come this time next year—but I hope to be reading about more vaccinations, and glimpsing more smiles that will be freed up from behind the masks that we are all currently sporting.