Christmas in San Tammaro

A Christmas built by the town

Christmas in San Tammaro is the series of festive events that the Municipality of San Tammaro, a town in the province of Caserta in Campania, organizes directly in partnership with local associations. The decision to self-produce the festival, announced by Mayor Vincenzo D'Angelo, has given the program a very distinct identity: not just one large event, but a succession of widespread initiatives that accompany the town from the Immaculate Conception to Epiphany, engaging children and adults alike.

The municipal park and Piazza don Pasquale Gravino

The two hubs of the event are the municipal park and Piazza don Pasquale Gravino, located next to the church. The festivities kick off with the lighting of the artistic illuminations in the park and the tree in the square, followed by the lighting of the bonfire: a simple yet deeply felt gesture that, in the tradition of the Terra di Lavoro region, marks the beginning of the Christmas season. The municipal park hosts the Santa Claus village, with a festive landscape set up specifically for the little ones, while the square adjacent to the church hosts the evening events.

What happens during the festival

The program of the documented editions has spanned about a month, with events distributed throughout weekends and holidays. Among the initiatives scheduled by the Municipality and the associations:

• lighting of the artistic illuminations in the municipal park and the Christmas tree in the square;
• Santa Claus village and photos with Santa Claus;
• holiday greetings at schools with a street band;
• entertainment and bouncy castles for children;
• distribution of panettone to the elderly;
• Boxing Day concert;
• Sixties and Seventies themed evening;
• variety shows at the Cineforum;
• «Coppa del Nonno» tournament at the bocce court;
• bingo (tombolata);
• Befana village with the distribution of stockings to children aged 3 to 10.

A dense network of associations

The strength of the event lies in the number of organizations that build it. Alongside the municipal administration, contributors have included the Accollatori association, the Fontana Carolina association, Confcommercio, the Red Cross, the Pro Loco Terra Mia and Pro Loco San Tammaro, the Mtb Tifata association, the Maria Santissima della Libera and Capasso sports clubs, the Civil Protection, the Fontane Style association, the Archeoclub, and the National Carabinieri Association. It is this network that allows for four weeks of constantly changing initiatives, almost all of which are free to access.

San Tammaro, the Royal Site of Carditello and the Terra di Lavoro

San Tammaro is a small town in the Caserta plain, historically part of the Terra di Lavoro, and its territory houses the Royal Site of Carditello, the ancient Bourbon estate dedicated to breeding royal horses. In December, the Royal Site offers its own Christmas program, «Christmas at Carditello», curated by the Foundation: it is an event distinct from the municipal calendar, but the two make December the liveliest month of the year for those visiting this corner of Campania. Visitors from out of town can thus combine the more intimate, village-like atmosphere of the municipal festival with the discovery of one of the most fascinating monuments in the Kingdom of Naples.

Why it is worth attending

Christmas in San Tammaro does not aim for massive crowds: it is a local celebration where the lighting of the tree, the bingo night, and the Befana stocking serve as collective rituals rather than tourist attractions. Precisely for this reason, it perfectly captures the atmosphere of Christmas in the towns of the Caserta province, made of illuminated squares, bands passing through the streets, shared sweets, and associations working together. It is an ideal occasion for families with young children and for those who want to experience a Campanian Christmas far from the most crowded circuits.