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Each year on Christmas Day, the beautiful medieval church of Santa Maria in Trastevere (see below) is the site of a huge holiday banquet for Rome’s neediest residents. Staged by the Community of Sant’Egidio, a religious lay organization, the tradition began in 1982 when a small group of needy people was served Christmas lunch at a banquet table in the church. Since that time, the feast has expanded greatly. Each year hundreds dine in the basilica, served by volunteers who have spent weeks gathering supplies for the banquet. Presents are gathered as well, with gifts of games, toiletries, sewing sets, notebooks, radios, socks, ties, sweaters, hats, and more being presented to those who might otherwise go without gifts on the holiday.

This year 2000 individuals were served lunch in Santa Maria in Trastevere.  On the menu:  lasagna, meatballs, potato gateau, lentils, typical Christmas sweets, seasonal fruit, and prosecco.  (Another 8000 needy people were served Christmas meals in other locals and by other organizations in the city.)  For more information on this event (which now takes place throughout the world), click here.