Walking through Lucca at night in December is all about the lights. Strings of lights glow overhead along the streets. Trees and oversize ornaments fill the piazzas. A stroll through town on a December evening is pure joy.

Day time brings a different kind of joy. The days are all about popping into shops and gazing into shop windows.

The stores are full of decorations ranging from simple to extravagant. Much as I tell myself that I really don’t need more decorations for my small apartment, it seems that I always find something that I just have to have.

All through the city, shop owners create fanciful window displays that capture the attention of children and adults alike.

Candy shops and gift shops are especially well decorated but jewelry shops, pharmacies, butchers, bakers, and even a woodworking shop have fun window displays.

A temporary exhibit under the loggia in Piazza San Michele has wonderful presepe (nativity scenes) on display along with hand-painted traditional nativity figures for sale. Italian presepe are fascinating and include whole villages of craftsmen, workers, and villagers in detailed settings.

Other shops have draped their doorways in lights and greenery. Chiasso Barletti, a pedestrian alley filled with shops, rolls out the red carpet and decorates all along the passageway.

Ditta Galliani, on Via Roma, sells exquisite housewares. Their spectacular widow displays (below) change weekly during the holiday season. Each one showcases a different collection of holiday china, ceramics, glassware, and ornaments. The ever changing arrangements attract a lot of attention as people stop at the window to admire the latest version. Lots of photos are taken here!

This year I am headed to New Mexico to spend the holidays with my family and Albuquerque friends. I am happy to have experienced all of Lucca’s holiday cheer before I jumped on a plane for Christmas in New Mexico, where the traditions are very different from those in Italy but still wonderful. It will be fun to experience Christmas on two continents this year !