The Catholic Church also counts amongst its dogmas the Immaculate Conception, which has its origins at the Church of Jerusalem, where the site of the house where Mary was born is commemorated, near the Probatica Gate.
Many centuries ago, as Anna watched a wren tending to her young in a nest in a tree in her garden, she realised with sadness that she had reached old age without ever having been able to give birth to any children.
The Angel of the Lord, interrupting her thoughts, he appeared to her and told her that the Lord God had heard her prayer, and, granting her wish, would therefore enable her to conceive and give birth to the child of whom the whole earth would speak.
And so Maria was born, the Mother of God, in such a way that immaculate, from Saints Joachim and Anne.
The dogma was first proclaimed by Pope Pius IX on 8 December 1854, in the papal bull “Ineffabilis Deus”; indeed, the feast, which was already deeply cherished in the Eastern Churches, was introduced to Rome in the 7th century by Pope Sergius I, a native of Byzantine Sicily.
The Papal Bull declared that the Virgin Mary was Immaculate because she had been preserved free from original sin from the very first moment of her conception.
On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Rimini already has a Christmassy feel to it; indeed, the festival provides the perfect opportunity to put up the fairy lights that create a festive atmosphere in the streets of the historic centre and along the main streets of Marina Centro.
Colours and lights will fill the city, imbuing it with a festive atmosphere and evoking all the feelings and emotions that Christmas stirs in the heart of every believer.
It is Tradition in Rimini to put up the Christmas tree Christmas on 8 December, which, as it does every year, erects a large fir tree in Piazza Cavour, decorated with coloured lights.
As in Northern Europe and now in almost all of Italy, in the main squares, in Rimini, Piazza Cavour and Piazza dei Tre Martiri And in the streets of the historic centre, Christmas markets will be set up, featuring countless colourful stalls offering a wide variety of goods, including traditional local specialities and handicrafts, an opportunity to start thinking about the first little presents to put under the tree; the shops will all remain open, lighting up and decorating their splendid shop windows.
You’ll be able to enjoy mulled wine, hot chocolate, tea and coffee at the various wine bars, bars and cafés.
