The Pope lit the lights of Christmas spruce on the Square of St. Peter

The Pope Benedict XVI on Friday lit the lights of the main Vatican spruce in St. Peter Square, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Vatican radio.

The Christmas tree and Christmas nursery were delivered from the Italian regions of Molze and Basilicat on December 6. Nursery is a traditional scene of the Nativity of Christ, the total area of ​​which this year was 225 square meters, installed next to a 24 -meter tree. This year, biblical characters are dressed in traditional clothes of the south of Italy, and the nursery itself is decorated with elements of South Italian iconography.

Unlike past years, the illumination will burn around the clock, and not just at night. For the first time in history, the smallest state of Europe will not pay a center for the installation of Christmas feasts: all expenses, including the payment of electricity for illumination, were taken by the authorities of the Basilicat region.

The tradition of establishing a Christmas spruce on St. Peter Square in the Vatican appeared at the end of the last century during the pontificate of John Paul II. Benedict XVI continued the tradition by which spruce is delivered to the Vatican from around the world. At the foot of the spruce, Christmas nurseries are usually installed, which pontiff conseches on the eve of Christmas on December 24.

After Christmas, the spruce will be dismantled, and its wood will go to the manufacture of toys for orphanages and hospitals.