Vatican City: The Vatican will officially usher in the Christmas season on Monday, December 15, with the unveiling of the traditional Nativity scene and the lighting of the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square. The Governorate of Vatican City State has released details about the origins, artistic vision, and symbolism behind this year’s decorations, which once again highlight Italy’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage.
At the heart of St. Peter’s Square will stand an imposing 80-foot Norway spruce sourced from Val d’Ultimo in the Ultental valley, a scenic and lesser-known area of South Tyrol in Italy’s Alto Adige region. In addition to the main tree, around 40 smaller fir trees will be delivered to decorate various Vatican offices and buildings during the Christmas season.
In a move reflecting the Vatican’s growing emphasis on environmental responsibility, the Governorate announced that the main Christmas tree will not go to waste after the festivities conclude. Instead, it will be transformed into essential oils by the Austrian firm Wilder Naturprodukte, while the remaining wood will be donated to charitable organizations, ensuring respect for nature and sustainable reuse.
This year’s Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square will be monumental in scale and artistic ambition. Measuring approximately 56 feet in length, nearly 40 feet in width, and rising to a height of 25 feet, the installation resembles a village setting rather than a single stable scene. It originates from the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno, one of Italy’s most ancient dioceses, whose Christian roots date back to the third century, when the Roman city of Nuceria Alfaterna already hosted an organized Christian community.
The composition draws inspiration from early Christian art of southern Italy and incorporates a faithful reproduction of the sixth-century baptistery of St. Mary Major Basilica, considered among the best-preserved in the country. The scene includes an octagonal baptismal pool and fresco-style decorations reflecting Byzantine artistic influence. Also featured is the Helvius Fountain, a monumental Roman structure from the first and second centuries A.D., linked to the ancient aqueduct system that once supplied water to the local population.
Through this symbolic architectural framework, the Nativity unfolds as a narrative that blends sacred tradition, historical memory, and regional identity. The life-size figures of the Holy Family were crafted by artisan Federico Iaccarino, while the broader scene includes characters inspired by saints closely associated with the region’s spiritual history.
Among those depicted are St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists in 1732 and renowned for his missionary outreach to the poor and marginalized, and a shepherd inspired by the Servant of God Don Enrico Smaldone, a priest remembered for his lifelong dedication to orphans, disadvantaged youth, and people with intellectual disabilities. Shepherds and animals move across a pathway designed to evoke the ancient Roman roads that once crossed the region.
At the center, Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus are portrayed alongside the ox and the donkey, the three Wise Men, and a shepherdess offering produce native to the land—artichokes, San Marzano tomatoes, and dried fruit symbolizing gratitude for creation and the fruits of human labor.
The Nativity also includes elements intended to prompt deeper reflection: a pendulum clock symbolizing the passage of time, an observer leaning from a balcony representing humanity’s contemplation of the divine mystery, and a fisherman holding an anchor, a sign of faith and a reference to the spiritual journey of the Jubilee. Above all, a luminous star with a tail shaped like an anchor crowns the scene, uniting heaven and earth in a powerful symbol of hope.
The official dedication ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. local time on December 15 and will be presided over by Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, alongside Archbishop Emilio Nappa and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, the Governorate’s general secretaries.
Earlier that day, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to receive delegations representing the donors of the Christmas tree and the creators of the Nativity scene. The afternoon ceremony will also be attended by Bishop Ivo Muser of Bolzano-Bressanone, Lagundo Mayor Alexandra Ganner, and Ultimo Mayor Stefan Schwarz.
The Vatican’s Christmas preparations will also include the presentation of a second Nativity scene, this one from Costa Rica, to be installed in the Paul VI Audience Hall. Titled “Nacimiento Gaudium” (“Nativity of Joy”), the work by Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz Soto offers a contemporary reflection on the sanctity of life from conception. The installation features a figure of the pregnant Virgin Mary surrounded by 28,000 colorful ribbons, symbolizing lives supported and protected through the efforts of Catholic organizations assisting women in vulnerable situations.
Measuring 16 feet long, 10 feet high, and 8 feet deep, the Costa Rican Nativity includes two interchangeable representations of Mary: one depicting her during pregnancy throughout Advent, and another showing her adoring the newborn Christ from Christmas Eve onward. On December 24, 400 ribbons bearing prayers and wishes written by children at the National Hospital of San José will be placed in the manger.
The Costa Rican delegation meeting Pope Leo XIV will include First Lady Signe Zeicate, her daughter Isabel Chaves Zeicate, and Costa Rica’s ambassador to the Holy See, Federico Zamora.
Together, the Vatican’s Christmas installations this year reflect a rich tapestry of faith, history, artistry, and hope, inviting pilgrims and visitors alike to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation at the heart of the season.