The winter light slants through Byzantine arches, gilding the floating nativity scenes bobbing in quiet canals. Venice at Christmas transforms into a Baroque snow globe, where every campo hosts living crèches and the scent of fried custard and mulled wine wafts through misty calli.
Pro Tip: The true magic happens at midnight mass in San Giovanni in Bragora, where the choir sings from a hidden balcony while incense swirls through 14th-century beams.