Currents News Staff
It was lit by children before the Christmas celebration was accompanied by traditional music and dancing.
This year’s 4.5 ton spruce tree is from the diocese of Concordia-Pordenone. The energy-efficient lights cloaking it were chosen to limit the negative impact on the environment. This is one of Pope Francis’ great concerns.
Excitement was at an all-time-high in the square, with many traveling to Rome to experience the magic of the Christmas season.
There is also a historic first in St. Peter’s Square, a 720 ton pile of sand has been transformed into this intricate nativity scene. The sand comes from the Italian city of Jesolo, near Venice and takes up 270 square feet. It is a tradition of the Dolomites, with the sand coming from inland areas, instead of typical beach sand.
It proved to be quite the crowd-pleaser.