This Is Italy
The Immaculate Conception of Mary (L'Immacolata Concezione in Italian) is a national holiday in Italy. Whichever day December 8 falls, it is a public holiday.
The Catholic Church celebrates the dogma that Mary was conceived with an immaculate soul. And that is very important in a country where the Blessed Virgin stands on a large pedestal.
Mary Immaculate Conception is often confused with that other aspect of Catholic teaching: that Jesus was born of a virgin.
Immaculate soul
According to the Catholic Church, Mary was conceived with an immaculate soul into her mother's womb. On her soul the purifying effect of the future redemption through her Son Jesus Christ was already applied by God before. In other words, only from a pure soul could the son of God be born.
This dogma was instituted by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854 and led to a new phase of Marian veneration.
By the way, Protestant churches reject that Mary's soul would be burdened without original sin, because this is nowhere to be found in the Bible.
Many other predominantly Catholic countries, such as Colombia, Spain, Liechtenstein, Malta, Austria, Portugal and Switzerland, also celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on December 8.
Start of the Christmas season
Except a religious Bank holiday December 8 is also the official start of the Christmas season. Christmas trees and poinsettias rise in many places on this day. It is also often the day that people start decorating their homes for Christmas.
In Terni in Umbria December 8 is celebrated with the lighting of the Stella di Miranda, a poinsettia with a tail built against the hill and made up of about 300 lights.
Simultaneously with the ignition of the Christmas star, the torchbearers come from the hill to a square to light the flame.
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