It is 23 December 1956: Christmas Eve makes the inhabitants of the city of Bologna more frantic and anxious than usual. For everyone there is the need to honour tradition and for those who believe in it to celebrate the now imminent feast of birth, but a new creed seems to be taking hold: the religion of consumerism, and precisely in the city that professes to be the most communist in the West. Perhaps this is why Carlo Fuzzi decides to document the moments of the festive preparations with his 8mm camera. The tree has to be hoarded: there are only a few left under the porticos of Santa Lucia, cheer up we are still in time, then at home we will decorate it as God commands. Fuzzi has already done it, so all he has to do is film his, opening the reel. Then there are those who look for fish at the market, for Christmas Eve dinner, and those who stop to admire the sfogline at work before buying tortellini for Christmas lunch. There are those who already have their loot and walk quickly, carrying a panettone with their right hand and another with their left. And then there are the children who look in admiration at the city's giant Christmas tree, which for a few weeks seems to steal the show from the two towers. They see it so big and dream of taking it home....