Decorations (Decorazioni) /day-cohr-ahts-yohn-ee/
As a rule, Italians do not much decorate their homes for the holidays, except for a nativity scene, and perhaps a Christmas tree, but it will usually be small-ish, possibly a live tree still in the pot, and not super-loaded with ornaments. In the downtown areas of cities and towns there will be lights and other decorations along the street. Larger cities will be especially lit up, and some have begun using LED lights because they are energy-saving and less polluting.
Mistletoe (Vischio) /vees-keeoh/
During the Holiday Season it is an old tradition to give Mistletoe, especially the last day of the year. It is often dipped in gold or silver paint, and it is given as a symbol of good wishes, or ‘auguri’. One of my friends reported that, “a large bank in the downtown has mounted a huge ‘vischio’ and they invite whoever wants to stand under it, and two nice shanghai girls take pictures while people kiss one another…”
