Today Catholics celebrate Christmas. The central event will be the traditional Christmas message of Pope Francis «To the city and to the world», which he will deliver from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican at 12:00 local time, gazeta.ru reports.
European cities have already plunged into the festive atmosphere. Christmas markets have become an integral part of the pre-Christmas days. Thus, in Strasbourg, which is called the «capital of Christmas», a fair under the motto «Time to wonder» opened. Its main attraction was a 31-meter Christmas tree. It is noteworthy that energy-saving light bulbs are used to decorate the city.
In Germany, famous for its large-scale Christmas decorations, this year about 21.79 billion light bulbs will be lit on garlands. Although this is slightly less than last year.
It is important to remember that Christmas is not only about cheerful traditions and bright lights. For millions of believers around the world, it is a deeply personal holiday, connected with faith in God and hope for a better future.
