Rome, 25 Dec. (LaPresse) – The world as it should be: sitting at the table, happy to be together even if of different origins and with different, and often difficult, stories behind them. It is Sant'Egidio's Christmas in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, an image of what was experienced not only in Rome, but with the participation of 80,000 people in a hundred cities in Italy and 250,000 in some seventy countries around the world. Festively decorated tables, smiles, hugs, personalised gifts and the serenity of those who feel at home. Homeless people, elderly people, families in difficulty, refugees who came through humanitarian corridors, some saved from the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, sat down at the table with those who help them every day of the year and are their friends. For almost two hours, they talked and celebrated with a traditional menu: lasagne, meatloaf, lentils and panettone.