There is a special place in Italy where Christmas is celebrated in July, namely in a small town in the Piedmont region in the North West.

This is the small town of Vagna, belongs to the municipality of Domodossola in the D’ Ossola Valley, where Christmas has been celebrated on the second Sunday in July every year since the 17th century.

This bizarre decision was taken in the 17th century to allow families to celebrate Christmas all together as the fathers and eldest sons of the time, almost all shepherds and woodcutters, were employed during the winter until the warmer season on the other side of the Alps and it was impossible for them to cross the mountains to reach home in time to celebrate Christmas with their families.

So, once they returned home in July, they made up for Christmas by celebrating it in that month.

Today, Christmas in Vagna is regularly celebrated on 25 December, but Christmas in July is still a tradition: if you happen to walk through Vagna in the heat of July, you will see decorated Christmas trees, nativity scenes and choirs of children singing Christmas carols.

 

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