SARONNO, Italy - The Christmas lights may go up, the
stores may decorate with fancy trees and put nativity crèches in their windows
in late November, but the holiday season
in Milan doesn’t officially start until December 7th when the city celebrates the feast of its
patron saint, Sant’Ambrogio.
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| Patron Saint of Milan, Saint Ambrogio |
December 7th also marks the opening of
the Oh Bei, Oh Bei, a festive street fair that’s been around since
1288. Hundreds of local artisans set up tables in the area around the Castello
Sforezco to sell everything from hand knitted scarves and sweaters to jewelry,
toys and gastronomic delights, including roasted chestnuts and hot cups of mulled
wine. It’s one of the biggest street fairs in Italy and an event no
self-respecting Milanese would ever dream of missing.
There’s more food (and lots of it, plus everything
else) at the Artiginato in Fiera, a massive fair held at Milan’s newest fair
ground, the Fiera di Rho. The Artiginato in Fiera is a multi-cultural event
with artisans coming from as far away as South America and China to
participate. It showcases the workmanship and traditions of hand crafted goods that
have been passed down from generation to generation, the one-of-a-kind crafts you would only see at a local fair.
As there are times when pictures speak louder than words, here are some photos of the both the Oh Bei, Oh Bei and the Artiginato in Fiera. A sure fire way of getting into that happy Christmas spirit.
First up are photos from Milan's Oh Bei, Oh Bei (which actually means 'How Beautiful, How Beautiful in Milanese dialect). The photos are all from the Corriere della Sera.
OH BEI, OH BEI
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| Not Your Everyday Street Fair |
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| It's a Walk in the Park with Benefits |
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| So Much to Chose From |
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| Adorable |
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| Is That Santa Up There? |
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| Look, There are his Elves! |
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| Round and Round the Castle We Go |
On to the Artiginato in Fiera
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