Many cities in Italy and Europe celebrate the birthday of their patron saint. If you’re looking for cheap flights to Milan this winter, you can witness Milan’s own saint’s day in early December. Saint Ambrose Day on December 7 is like a prelude to Christmas in Milan, with holiday wine, comfort food, and all kinds of celebrations. The festivities begin two days earlier on December 5 and are centered around the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio in downtown Milan, where the saint’s remains are still buried. This church is one of the oldest in Milan - Ambrose himself helped to build it between 379 and 386 A.D. Check out airline tickets for cheap and book flights to Milan to experience Milan’s Saint Ambrose Day.
Besides being the patron saint of Milan, Saint Ambrose is considered to be the patron saint of students and learning and also of domestic animals. In icons of the saint, he is often depicted with a beehive and bees, a symbol for wisdom. Therefore, he’s also a saint of beekeepers and candle makers. Saint Ambrose was born in 339 and eventually became the Bishop of Milan, later becoming one of the most important European religious figures of the 4th century. The main event of Saint Ambrose Day is a huge street fair. The fair is called “La Fiera dei Obej Obej”, meaning “how beautiful”, referring to Saint Ambrose’s kindness and goodness. At the immense fair you’ll find stalls with all kinds of products, from antique furniture to handcrafted holiday gifts. There is even a special song that goes with this fair and the holiday. With the savings you’ve made on flight tickets for cheap, splurge on a few Milanese souvenirs to take home. Of course, you’ll also find plenty of holiday treats, like cookies, cured meats, decadent cheeses, candy and Italian hot chocolate. Vin brule, or mulled wine, is a special drink for this occasion. This red wine, made with ingredients like sugar, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon peel, is traditionally drunk with roasted chestnuts, another winter treat. Delicious enough to make you start searching for hot deals on cheap tickets to Milan!
If you can find flight tickets cheap for this holiday, you’ll also be in Milan for the opening of the opera season at the famous Teatro Alla Scala. Tickets for the first night are hard to get, but you could try for a show later in the week if your cheap flight tickets schedule permits. The Immaculate Conception festival, another important holiday event, will be December 8, the day after Saint Ambrose Day. Book airline tickets for cheap and take advantage of cheap flights to Milan to celebrate Saint Ambrose, the patron saint of this historic city.