Christmas 2022 in Venice: what to do?

WHAT TO DO IN VENICE DURING CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY? MUST TO DO LIST!

1. The Christmas tree in San Marco

In the living room of Venice, the extraordinary Piazza San Marco, you will be surrounded by masterpieces of art: the Basilica of San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, the Clock Tower, the Bell Tower, the Marciana Library, the Procuratories.

It is here that you will find the tree that recreates the magic of the most awaited time of the year thanks to the warm lights and the large natural fir tree, 15 meters high, with a 7 wide base and decorated with golden spheres. On the top, a star tip. You will then follow the long sequence of golden lights illuminating the arches of the Procuratie, which embraces the entire perimeter of the entire square and surrounds everything with the gold of the tree.

2. Santa Claus in a gondola

Santa Claus in sleigh: horses instead of reindeer to deliver presents to children. Or even Santa Claus who bends over backwards and jumps with a parachute. This is what we are used to. But only here is the most unusual version: a Santa Claus who reaches the children in a gondola to bring them gifts. Accompanying him, hundreds of people in the classic red costume and fake white beard challenged each other with oar strokes, aboard the 'Mascarate', in the Grand Canal, for the Valesana regatta promoted by the coordination of rowing.

4. Follow the shopping lights in Venice

Shopping in a carpet of lights. Venice thus welcomes residents and visitors with a trail of light that accompanies your purchases, in the most prestigious boutiques of the big brands or in Venetian craft shops. In calle Larga XXII Marzo towards campo Santa Maria del Giglio, in campo San Luca, and along the Mercerie and Spadaria until you reach the Rialto Bridge, Ruga degli Oresi and calle dei Boteri and from here continue towards campo San Polo on one side and on the other towards Strada Nuova. The Castello district is also illuminated, with lights in via Garibaldi, in salizada San Francesco and in Sant'Elena.

5. Museums

In Venice, the Christmas festivities become an opportunity to discover the rich cultural heritage of the city, with all the city museums open during the Christmas festivities to discover the great offer of the museum system, starting from the "Anselm Kiefer" exhibitions - in Palazzo Ducale up to 6 January, or something new, such as the new exhibition center in Palazzo Zaguri, where Casanova was at home, which has set up the exhibition Tutankhamun, 100 years of mysteries. For lovers of contemporary art, Palazzo Grassi presents the great solo exhibition of Marlene Dumas (1953, Cape Town, South Africa). But there are too many unmissable museums in Venice which, despite representing only a part of the city's enormous artistic heritage, constitute the most vital and essential one. Do not miss the Accademia Gallery, the most important gallery in the world of Venetian painting between the 14th and 18th centuries.

5. La Fenice Theater: the New Year's Concert

The Christmas concert in this particular year will be held at the Teatro La Fenice. The protagonists will be the Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice under the musical direction of Gianluca Capuano. On the program the Stabat Mater by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi and two pages by Arcangelo Corelli including the Concerto grosso done for Christmas night or the New Year's Concert, which as per tradition offers a musical program in two parts: a first exclusively orchestral and a second part dedicated to melodrama, with a series of arias, duets and choral excerpts performed by highly prestigious soloists and by the Chorus of the Teatro La Fenice. Every year the Concert closes with two very famous pages by Giuseppe Verdi, cornerstones of the Italian musical heritage: the Chorus «Va' pensiero sull'ali dorate» from Nabucco and the festive toast «Libiam ne' felici calici» from La traviata.

6. Rosa Salva's Panettone and Pandoro

Christmas is also sweetness. And Venice is no exception with traditional desserts, such as pandoro and panettone. A delight to be able to honor tradition by tasting the Rosa Salva which preserves the original recipe. In fact, legend has it that the recipe for this brioche was developed in Venice in the Middle Ages. In a pastry shop in the historic center of the city it has been made for more than a century.

7. Open-air skating through history

From morning to evening, from Monday to Sunday, children and adults will be able to wear disposable socks, caps, skates and helmets for ice skating. A real ice rink, for everyone's enjoyment, open every day, in shifts, with the possibility of renting skates, in one of the most beautiful and characteristic squares of Venice: Campo San Polo, from 3 December 2022 to 21 February 2023.

8. The kiss in Piazza San Marco: 2023 in the name of love

Wait for the countdown, make a toast and exchange greetings to greet 2023. The big party is in Piazza San Marco, where tens of thousands of people gather as midnight approaches. The kiss is precisely the way in which Venice greets 2023.

A large stage in the square where from about 9 to 11.45 pm singers and artists perform differently every year, to then wait, guided by the presenters, for the moment in which to exchange kisses fans for the new year, now a tradition of recent years. All this is followed by fireworks, fired directly from the San Marco basin, it is a very suggestive and romantic show.